Photo courtesy of HckySo at Flickr.com.
Have you ever noticed that alkaline batteries seem to work better in digital cameras, handheld games, and other high drain devices? That’s because alkaline batteries put out electricity at a higher voltage. They offer 1.5 volts, while rechargeable technologies such as Nickel Metal Hydride and Nickel Cadmium put out lower voltage – usually 1.2 to 1.3 volts. Devices using NiMH and NiCd can seem sluggish, because their capacitors take a longer time to charge between cycles.
A new type of rechargeable battery will change that. This new type of battery is based on Nickel Zinc technology, and it delivers 1.5 volts of juice. These batteries aren’t just a laboratory pipe dream either – the first shipments should arrive on store shelves by Christmas time. NiZi batteries are being produced by a company named PowerGenix. They’ve made distribution deals with Ritz Camera, and the batteries will be labeled as Quantaray Super Z rechargeable AA batteries
Zinc Nickel batteries haven’t been widely used before due to problems with durability. Previous zinc electrodes didn’t last as long as electrodes made with other materials, but they showed serious promise because Nickel Zinc batteries offer higher energy density.
A lead acid car battery has a power-to-weight ratio of roughly 30 Watt hours / Kilogram. A Nickel Metal Hydride battery (like the one found in a 2001 Prius) offers 25% more power for the same amount of weight, but that’s nothing compared to a Nickel Zinc battery. These new batteries have a 60 Wh/Kg energy capacity, which means they offer 100% more power than a lead acid battery of the same weight.
Power Genix is also developing Nickel Zinc technology for use in electric and hybrid cars, so we’ll likely hear more about these batteries. They’ll be competing with lithium ion batteries (which are even more powerful), but Nickel Zinc batteries have some major advantages. They’re much cleaner to produce, and they’re being promoted as the easiest type of battery to recycle. One thing about hype though – it tends to create a market for counterfeit batteries…
Photo courtesy of Jim Rees at Flickr.com.
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I had not heard about these yet – we use only rechargeables in our house, so these could come in pretty handy. Nice find!
Who, apart from Powergenix, manufactures these type of batteries? We want to use such batteries for E Cycles. Can you help us?