Brilio.net/en - Gone are the days of having to panic when our cell phone batteries are low.
A smart chip around the size of a fingernail was developed by a team of researchers at the Nanyang Technological University led by Professor Rachid Yazami.
The chip's small size allows it to be integrated into all types of batteries and Dr. Yazami hopes that it can be incorporated into everything from cell phones to electric cars. So far, Dr. Yazami's company named KVI has begun talking with notable companies such as Tesla, Sony, Sanyo, and Samsung.
Dr. Yazami also claims that in addition to cutting the charge times significantly, the chip will also reduce the chances of battery fires as well.
"Although the risk of a battery failing and catching fire is very low, with the billions of lithium-ion batteries being produced yearly, even a one-in-a-million chance would mean over a thousand failures," Dr. Yazami said.
The prototype chip allows batteries to bypass its own speed inhibitor which until today has been the main cause of slow charging times. With the chip installed, batteries can charge at full speed without the risk of overheating. Therefore significantly reducing the charge times.
Dr Yazami explained: "Current chargers do not take into account the health of a battery when charging it. They send the same amount of charge regardless of the battery's condition. With this chip, the charge can be regulated to avoid damaging the battery."
According to the university, the chips will be available for licensing and production by the end of 2016.
(brl/red)
