Published in AI

AI can improve batteries which will never see the light of day

by on04 October 2022


Is there nothing AI can't do?

After decades of humans inventing new battery tech which for some reason never gets to market, it appears that the boffins have come up with a way of making AI do the job for them.

Scientists at Carnegie Mellon developed an AI tool called Dragonfly which will improve electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries, allowing the batteries to charge faster.

The AI thought it was a clever idea because the electrolyte moves ions between the two electrodes in the battery. Lithium ions are formed at the negative electrode, flow to the anode and cathode, where they gain electrons. When the battery is charged, the ions move back to the anode.

It is a great idea, one of many battery innovations we have written about over the decades which we doubt will ever see a product. But that does not matter because the Carnegie Mellon boffins did not waste much time on the project because Dragonfly did most of the heavy lifting.

The team used an automated research system of pumps, valves, vessels and other lab equipment to mix together three potential solvents and salt, then fed those results through ‘Dragonfly’, they found that the AI ​​produced six solutions. Out-performs the existing electrolyte solution.

It is hoped that the Dragonfly can be improved so that it can conduct experiments with multiple targets rather than a single target.  That means a lot of new battery developments which will be flied away and forgotten about. Just like quantum batteries that use a quantum mechanical system called a micromaser to store the energy charged by a stream of qubits, while protecting against the risk of overcharging, allow the batteries to charge instantly.

Then there was a battery which was charged using collective stupidity of Italian politicians, it too was vapourware, indeed we made it up, but it was no less likely then some of the other cure for cancer style batteries we have seen announced.  

 

Last modified on 04 October 2022
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