A Paper Battery Project is a flexible, ultra-thin energy storage and production device formed by combining carbon nano tubes with a conventional sheet of cellulose-based paper. A Paper Battery acts as both a high-energy battery and super capacitor , combining two components that are separate in traditional electronics . This combination allows the battery to provide both long-term, steady power production and bursts of energy. Non-toxic, flexible paper batteries have the potential to power the next generation of electronics, medical devices and hybrid vehicles, allowing for radical new designs and medical technologies.A Power Paper cell can generate 1.5 volts of electricity, which is about the same output as a watch or calculator battery. A Power Paper cell will be 0.5 millimeters thick, and several cells can be used in combination to provide more power.
How the Power Paper cell will work:
Power Paper batteries are printed directly onto thin substrates, such as paper, so they are far more flexible than any other battery. Because ink is used to produce Power Paper, the batteries are considered dry, and don't need the metal casing that conventional batteries do to contain harmful, toxic chemicals. This lack of casing allows electronics manufacturers to utilize the power source in many shapes and sizes. Since it doesn't require special production equipment, Power Paper can be made outside of clean- or dry-room conditions, which lowers production costs. Power Paper batteries can be produced for a mere 1 cent per square inch.
There are already several products available that Power Paper batteries can be integrated with; and with devices becoming increasingly smaller, the market for thin power sources is huge. It's really the new devices that are yet to be developed that will make the most use of this new technology. Because Power Paper batteries are made with ink, and don't need a casing, there's no limitation as to the shape or size of the battery.
Paper battery offers future power:
Printable Batteries:
The near future promises to bring us books that will be filled with digital paper, which will display the text of any book we wish to read. These books, printed with electronic ink, will be able to alternate between many texts at the push of a button. Within the ink printed on these digital pages will be tiny microprocessors and circuits that perform various functions. Also embedded in this ink will be the components of tiny, paper-thin batteries called Power Paper.
- A zinc and manganese dioxide (MnO2) -based cathode and anode are fabricated from proprietary inks. In a battery, the cathode refers to the positive terminal and the anode refers to the negative terminal.
- Standard silkscreen printing presses are used to print the batteries onto paper and other substrates.
- Power Paper batteries are integrated into production and assembly processes of thin electronic devices.
Power Paper Products:
- Smart cards and tags - Power Paper batteries can be laminated onto smart cards and other micro-devices and replace ordinary tickets and tags. It is possible that tickets to major sporting events could use this technology to limit counterfeiting. And imagine a ticket that could not only grant you admission, but also give you directions to your seat!
- Disposable medical devices - Single-use delivery and diagnostic devices could have Power Paper incorporated into their construction to allow for sensors and smart labels.
- Electronic games and entertainment devices - The possibilities are endless for using Power Paper batteries in novelty items, baseball cards, greeting cards and lottery tickets. Labels on just about any product could become interactive.
Paper batteries may be folded, cut or otherwise shaped for different applications without any loss of integrity or efficiency . Cutting one in half halves its energy production. Stacking them multiplies power output. Early prototypes of the device are able to produce 2.5 volt s of electricity from a sample the size of a postage stamp
They have produced a sample slightly larger than a postage stamp that can store enough energy to illuminate a small light bulb. But the ambition is to produce reams of paper that could one day power a car.
Professor Robert Linhardt, of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, said the paper battery was a glimpse into the future of power storage. The team behind the versatile paper, which stores energy like a conventional battery, says it can also double as a capacitor capable of releasing sudden energy bursts for high-power applications.
