Researchers Create World’s Longest Fiber Battery

Feb, 2022 - By SMI

The novel rechargeable battery can be woven and washed, and may power fiber-based electronic sensors and devices

Flexible and bendable batteries that can be used in fabrics could become an essential part of wearable electronics in the future. Now the engineers at MIT created a rechargeable lithium-ion battery with a thickness of only few microns and length of (460 ft) 140 meters that could be used in ordinary clothing fabrics.

In order to develop this new fabric battery, the researchers at MIT used a normal fiber-drawing system to create fibers with all the important components set in a big cylinder and heated below the melting point. Later the materials were pushed through a small opening compressing them to a smallest diameter and keeping the required arrangement. According to the scientists, the important materials such as lithium in this new battery are kept on the inside of the fiber having a protective coating added on the outside. The battery uses a new gel electrodes and electrolyte to make the battery fire-resistant. This arrangement made the battery a lot thinner and more flexible compared to previously designed batteries, and 140 meters long, making it the longest flexible, fiber battery, providing 123mAh storage capacity.

Furthermore, the researchers tested the capability of the battery in through various experiments, such as using it to power a Li-Fi system that uses light pulses for transmitting data, and wrapping the fiber battery on the body of s submarine toy for providing it with power. The scientists claimed that the new fiber battery can be washed in machine, and can be used in multiple devices with its long length. The team is focusing on improving the power capacity and efficiency of this fiber battery. According to the team, this new technology could be used in commercial products in the near future.