How to Charge a Phone in 15 Minutes

Qnovo, an unusually named start-up in California, claims to have developed a new method to charge conventional lithium-ion batteries in unbelievably fast times. With this new technology Qnovo say you can get some six hours of phone life from just 15 minutes of charging this is a fraction of conventional charge times that are typically 1 to 2 hours.

Qnovo explains that they achieved this by being able to identify exactly how much power you can put into a battery without damaging it.

Over time lithium-ion batteries such as those in your laptop or smart phone will gradually lose their ability to hold a charge. This is to do with how a battery works, the anode and cathode materials in the battery will have tiny imperfections that can lead to crystals being formed. This crystal residue can change the structure of the battery and create a short in its circuit that reduces the batteries capacity.

This degradation generally occurs when electrolytes are exposed to a sudden influx of ions in the charging process. Put simply each time you charge a lithium ion battery it is exposed to a sudden jolt of electrical current that creates an influx of power which in turn degrades the battery slightly by causing mini short circuits. That then reduces the batteries capacity.

Now manufactures aren’t stupid so to avoid this sort of battery degradation they reduce the charging current of a battery to a slow trickle, this reduces the damaged caused and results in a longer battery lifespan but it’s at the expense of very slow charging. Qnovo however, appear to have developed a way around this slow charging time. They have devised a system that can determine just how much charge you can apply to the battery without causing damage. This intelligent feedback loop constantly measures the amount of charge that can be applied without damaging the battery and adjusts the charging current accordingly to optimize charge times and reduce battery degradation.

The technology is being developed in the form of a chip that can control the charging circuit on a device or alternatively as a piece of software. If the development proves fruitful then it could easily be applied to many phones and other mobile devices to provide faster and better optimized charging, which would be of huge benefit and obviously reap some serious financial rewards for the company.

Via | extremetech