Carbon nanotubes spring towards energy storage

MIT scientists believe that carbon nanotubes could be the key to creating smaller, more efficient, and longer-lasting batteries in the future. The graduate students of MIT’s Micro Power and Nanoengineering Research Group suggest that carbon nanotubes can be formed into small springs capable of storing as much energy, pound for pound, as state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries. Carol Livermore, associate professor of mechanical engineering and leader of the research team, found that these carbon nanotube springs have the potential to be more durable and more reliable than the current battery standard.In an MIT news release, Livermore stated that carbon nanotube springs are capable of maintaining their charge for many years, allowing you to “stick it on the wall and forget it.” She explained that the key to better energy storage is the spring formation. “Springs can deliver the stored energy effectively either in a rapid, intense burst, or slowly and steadily over a long period - as exemplified by the difference between the spring in a mousetrap or in a windup clock,” said Livermore. Unlike ordinary batteries, stored energy in the springs withstands the damaging effects of time and extreme temperatures, making carbon nanotubes ideal for emergency backup systems in harsh conditions.

Two papers describing Livermore and her team’s findings on energy storage in carbon nanotube springs have recently been published. A paper describing a theoretical analysis of the springs’ potential, co-authored by Livermore, graduate student Frances Hill and Timothy Havel SM ‘07, appeared in June in the journal Nanotechnology. Another paper, by Livermore, Hill, Havel and A. John Hart SM ‘02, PhD ‘06, now a professor at the University of Michigan, describing laboratory tests that demonstrate that nanotubes can exceed the energy storage potential of steel, appeared in the September issue of the Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering. The group has also recently filed for a patent on the technology.

The team is currently working towards creating denser bundles of the carbon nanotubes in order to create a more practical energy storage device. Livermore and her students are encouraged by the many possibilities carbon nanotubes have for mechanical energy storage. Pending future research, these super springs have the potential to surpass batteries as the leader in energy storage.