The battery that never dies: Scientists find breakthrough technique to stop phones losing power

Scientists have invented a new type of battery that can be charged hundreds of thousands of times without degrading .

They say it takes us closer to creating the ultimate long-lasting power source for things computers, smartphones and even cars and spaceships.

The new battery was developed by the University of California, Irvine and uses a new type of "nanowire" - highly-conductive wires that are thousands of times thinner than a human hair.

In a typical lithium ion battery , a nanowire becomes brittle and cracked due to constant recharging. But the researchers developed used gold nanowires and gave it a new type of coating to prevent breakdown.

According to Science Daily , the team coated "a gold nanowire in a manganese dioxide shell and encasing the assembly in an electrolyte made of a Plexiglas-like gel."

While a typical battery may see the cracking appear after 5,000 - 7,000 recharges, the study leader, doctoral candidate Mya Le Thai, subjected the new technology to 200,000 recharges over three months.

"The coated electrode holds its shape much better, making it a more reliable option," Thai said.

"This research proves that a nanowire-based battery electrode can have a long lifetime and that we can make these kinds of batteries a reality."

Technology companies are driving hard at better battery technology to offer better gadgets to customers.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is known to be investing heavily in battery technology and has even revealed a type of house battery called the Powerwall .

It's a wall-mounted lithium ion battery designed to power homes and businesses by storing up energy from sunlight and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.

The Powerwall comes in two versions: a 7kWh unit which will sell for $3,000 (£1,954) and a 10kWh unit that will cost $3,500 (£2,275). It can be mounted on either an outside or an inside wall.

"The battery can provide financial savings to its owner by charging during low rate periods when demand for electricity is lower and discharging during more expensive rate periods when electricity demand is higher," Tesla said in a statement.

Despite the Powerwall's size it - and other lithium ion batteries - are still subject to degradation over long-term use. Which is something this new research will hopefully be able to prevent.

Source:Mirror UK