Scientists at the Surrey Institute of Advanced Technology (ATI) in England are working to develop a prototype for a potentially revolutionary renewable and rechargeable battery. With just 30 seconds of sunlight, it can charge devices like smartwatches for hours.
The research was published in the journal Energy Storage Materials and can be found in the journal Science Direct.
“This technology provides a promising strategy for the efficient use of clean energy and allows wearable electronic devices to run continuously without being charged at the port,” he explains. Jinxin Bi, PhD is a student at ATI.
“Our prototype could represent a step forward in how we interact with wearables and other IoT devices, such as real-time remote health monitors.”
Manufactured using inkjet printing and electroplating, the new system combines zinc-ion batteries, manganese dioxide, and perovskite solar cells (a compound of calcium and titanium oxide).
This ensures a high energy density (5 mA per square centimeter) and a size comparable to the latest micro-batteries and supercapacitors manufactured by conventional methods.
In a lab test, scientists connected an LED lamp to two photo-rechargeable devices. With just 30 seconds of photovoltaic charging (charging through sunlight), the lamp had 10 minutes of continuous illumination. After those 10 minutes, it still retains 57.5% of its shine.
Dr. says. Yunlong Zhao, co-leader of the project and battery specialist for wearable devices and implants
However, the project is still in the prototype stage, with no prospects for large-scale industrial application.
