4 ms·

This article, and this comment thread, both seem to be ignoring what is actually in the way of any "50% more energy" battery tech being used in consumer laptops

by Bud 9y ago

This article, and this comment thread, both seem to be ignoring what is actually in the way of any "50% more energy" battery tech being used in consumer laptops: FAA regulations limit all such batteries to 100 watt/hrs or less. It's not Apple, it's not Samsung...they have no choice. So until we get over our stupid post-9/11 policies, it doesn't matter if Star Trek batteries magically spring into existence. The tech isn't going anywhere, other than allowing something like Apple Watch to have a little more capacity.

rconti 9y ago
That's fine. Laptops can keep getting more efficient. This tech can be used for cars and home storage and.. basically everything except devices like laptops that are on that 100w/h boundary. Already, laptops suffice for most flights. Then, eventually, this regulation will go away.
- Nition 9y ago
  Have a high-capacity laptop battery for normal use and a cheap, lower capacity 100Wh one you can swap in to take on flights.
jpm_sd 9y ago
Those rules have nothing to do with 9/11, they are based on risk of fire due to manufacturing defects.
- mitchty 9y ago
  That and limiting the amount of energy that could be released if there is a defect. I don't think i'd want a 1Kwh battery on a plane.
  - maxharris 9y ago
    I have never seen a laptop catch fire, on a plane or otherwise. While I have seen a few stories that report fires here and there, I really don't think this is a big issue, and I'd feel comfortable riding on a plane with lots of 1kWh batteries on it.
  - maxharris 9y ago
    http://www.ehang.com/ehang184 http://www.ehang.com/ehang184 This thing might blew my mind. It's a battery-powered drone that you can fly in! I don't know exactly how big the battery is, but my best guess is that it's bigger than 1Kwh... It's not vaporware either. There are lots of videos of this thing flying!
    - deleted 9y ago
      [deleted]
    - mitchty 9y ago
      Presumably its not a lithium ion battery that could have been (ab)used that just randomly happens to be in an airplane. Purpose built batteries versus a general purpose battery that could have been engineered to different tolerances are a bit of a different beast.
praseodym 9y ago
The 2017 15” MacBook Pro only has a 76 Wh battery, so this is mainly a design choice by Apple (smaller battery means smaller laptop) and not due to FAA regulations. Source: https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs/ https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs/
- Ajedi32 9y ago
  And that's a laptop. Watch and phone batteries store far less energy than that. Even the most power-hungry phone would certainly be able to take full advantage of a battery with an additional 50% capacity.
Johnny555 9y ago
I already get 6 - 8 hours of lifetime out of my laptop, I don't really need 50% more battery (saving a few ounces or cubic centimeters wouldn't make much difference to me either). I can use the power outlet on the plane if I'm on a flight longer than that. However, I would love 50% more battery lifetime in my phone without adding more weight or volume. Or 50% more range in an electric car (or reducing the size/weight/cost of the battery pack). There are lots of applications for batteries that don't involve taking large batteries on the plane.
ChuckMcM 9y ago
Sorry but I have to disagree. While the limit is important for appliance electronics like laptops it doesn't have any impact at all on electric vehicles which are all mostly LiOn powered. 50% more range or 50% less weight would be an interesting change to put in the mix at Tesla for example. If you look at where batteries are going to be in volume in the next 20 years it will be in grid storage, off-grid house energy storage, vehicles, and potentially small industrial tools. Of course if this particular breakthrough actually makes it into batteries we will all be pleasantly surprised, as battery "breakthroughs" have a success rate quite a bit lower than 'venture funded startups' :-)
- btilly 9y ago
  If you can store 3/2 times as much with the same battery, you get the same with 2/3 as much battery. So that should be 50% more range or 33% less weight. Not 50% less weight.
Dylan16807 9y ago
You can have multiple batteries. I think. But I've never had a laptop with a full 100 watt hours anyway, and even more important is my phone where that restriction is miles away.

by Bud 9y ago

rconti 9y ago

That's fine. Laptops can keep getting more efficient. This tech can be used for cars and home storage and.. basically everything except devices like laptops that are on that 100w/h boundary. Already, laptops suffice for most flights. Then, eventually, this regulation will go away.

Nition 9y ago
Have a high-capacity laptop battery for normal use and a cheap, lower capacity 100Wh one you can swap in to take on flights.

jpm_sd 9y ago

Those rules have nothing to do with 9/11, they are based on risk of fire due to manufacturing defects.

mitchty 9y ago
That and limiting the amount of energy that could be released if there is a defect. I don't think i'd want a 1Kwh battery on a plane.
- maxharris 9y ago
  I have never seen a laptop catch fire, on a plane or otherwise. While I have seen a few stories that report fires here and there, I really don't think this is a big issue, and I'd feel comfortable riding on a plane with lots of 1kWh batteries on it.
- maxharris 9y ago
  http://www.ehang.com/ehang184 http://www.ehang.com/ehang184 This thing might blew my mind. It's a battery-powered drone that you can fly in! I don't know exactly how big the battery is, but my best guess is that it's bigger than 1Kwh... It's not vaporware either. There are lots of videos of this thing flying!
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
  - mitchty 9y ago
    Presumably its not a lithium ion battery that could have been (ab)used that just randomly happens to be in an airplane. Purpose built batteries versus a general purpose battery that could have been engineered to different tolerances are a bit of a different beast.

praseodym 9y ago

The 2017 15” MacBook Pro only has a 76 Wh battery, so this is mainly a design choice by Apple (smaller battery means smaller laptop) and not due to FAA regulations. Source: https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs/ https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs/

Ajedi32 9y ago
And that's a laptop. Watch and phone batteries store far less energy than that. Even the most power-hungry phone would certainly be able to take full advantage of a battery with an additional 50% capacity.

Johnny555 9y ago

I already get 6 - 8 hours of lifetime out of my laptop, I don't really need 50% more battery (saving a few ounces or cubic centimeters wouldn't make much difference to me either). I can use the power outlet on the plane if I'm on a flight longer than that. However, I would love 50% more battery lifetime in my phone without adding more weight or volume. Or 50% more range in an electric car (or reducing the size/weight/cost of the battery pack). There are lots of applications for batteries that don't involve taking large batteries on the plane.

ChuckMcM 9y ago

Sorry but I have to disagree. While the limit is important for appliance electronics like laptops it doesn't have any impact at all on electric vehicles which are all mostly LiOn powered. 50% more range or 50% less weight would be an interesting change to put in the mix at Tesla for example. If you look at where batteries are going to be in volume in the next 20 years it will be in grid storage, off-grid house energy storage, vehicles, and potentially small industrial tools. Of course if this particular breakthrough actually makes it into batteries we will all be pleasantly surprised, as battery "breakthroughs" have a success rate quite a bit lower than 'venture funded startups' :-)

btilly 9y ago
If you can store 3/2 times as much with the same battery, you get the same with 2/3 as much battery. So that should be 50% more range or 33% less weight. Not 50% less weight.

Dylan16807 9y ago

You can have multiple batteries. I think. But I've never had a laptop with a full 100 watt hours anyway, and even more important is my phone where that restriction is miles away.