NASA’s incredible new solid-state battery pushes the boundaries of energy storage: ‘This could revolutionize air travel’::“We’re starting to approach this new frontier of battery research."

  • Mojojojo1993@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I read this a bit ago. Hopefully all this tech eventually finds it way into aircraft.

    My money “hope” is actually on smaller solid state batteries than can be recharged through the air. Similar to watt up tech and ossia.

    With power over air you need less battery storage and work on keeping the battery from dropping.

    Also I think best case scenario would be a massive reduction in the amount of planes flying.

    High speed rail would be a better solution. Planes across seas and then rail travel on land.

    If trains can get within speeds of air travel then we might be getting there.

    Alas will be long dead before anything happens

          • Mojojojo1993@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            It’s just as it sounds. Just Google power over the air.

            Lots of different applications for it. Mostly it’s using some kind of wave to power devices from a distance. Currently it’s on a few watts at a few meters.

            Pretty shit but actually would be useful as your phone or devices would discharge slower and you could charge at the end of the day

            With planes it would be a bit different. Fuck knows how they’d manage it. But still something to look it.

            Similar to wireless charging. Some countries have roads that charge electric vehicles as they drive.

            This would be similar

            • Stoneykins [any]@mander.xyz
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              1 year ago

              The amount of research needed to make this technology work for the applications you are suggesting would be many times greater than the amount of research needed to just figure out better batteries. And. it would always be energy inefficient, so it would need an electricity surplus to be viable.

              • Mojojojo1993@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                Didn’t say it would be easy. Oh magnitudes sure. It’s already a well known area though. Would reduce down the size and efficient of batteries.

                It’s what I’m betting on. Already plenty of applications on it. Pretty sure Japan is or has trying to beam power from space solar to ground arrays.

                I think to get drones to work effectively they will need this tech.

                • Stoneykins [any]@mander.xyz
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                  1 year ago

                  The air is a poor wire. Lots of electricity will be lost just getting it to the machines, so for high energy applications, especially over longer distances, trying to use this technology would waste huge amounts of power. Not economically viable until electricy costs almost nothing.

                  I don’t disagree that it has many applications, but probably more low power things for a while.

                  Battery/energy storage technology on the other hand has a lot of potential, and is entering it’s golden age of research. The advances we have already made will look like nothing compared to the advances in batteries we will have in the next 20 years. Why beam power from the ground to a plane in the air when it could have all it needs onboard, and can charge in minutes once landed?

                  • Mojojojo1993@lemmy.world
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                    1 year ago

                    Oh absolutely but if you’ve got a way to reduce weight and that’s what you need in aircraft then anything that helps will make a huge difference. Also means if anything fails you still have backup power.

                    Electricity already costs nothing in some places. Solar panels and windows turbines gave to be turned off quite often.

                    We are literally wasting power because it’s financially prudent. Free power is bad for power companies. They paid to be able to sell at a price and if the sun is shining the wind is blowing they can’t make money.

                    If you had planes flying over Nevada or hot arid regions they could waste megawatts of power throwing it at planes. Yeah it’s inefficient but so are big heavy batteries. Or we keep using horrific jet fuel and eventually we will kill ourselves and the planet.

                    I know which one I’d pick.

                    Better batteries can be coupled with power over the air. It doesn’t need to charge it just needs to slow the rate of discharge down. It’s a novel idea.

                    Honestly I mostly want it for my phone. Again I don’t need much power just enough to get my phone from 8am to 10pm without plugging in.

                    Several companies are in the running but ossia and energous are the ones with products. Once apple or Google incorporate into their devices it’s a done deal.

                    It’s a waste of energy as it’s inefficient but we waste energy all the time.