Nokia: 5G Lithium Nanotube Battery – 2.5X Run Time

Nokia Bell Labs and the research team at AMBER center of Trinity College Dublin has worked together to come up with a lithium nanotube battery. The battery has thin and small enclosures but is said to run 2.5 times longer than even the current best alternatives. This new battery is mainly for 5G devices including connected electric vehicles, internet of things products and drones; however, the battery can be used more widely.

What makes all the claims more credible is the history of Nokia Bell Labs with batteries for slim phones. In a study published in Nature Energy – the international science journal, thick new battery electrodes have been developed using the composite of lithium storage materials and carbon nanotubes. This will enable energy to be transferred at the peak efficiency levels that are new theoretical. That means the batteries can charge more quickly.

Paul King of Nokia said:

The technology is believed to allow power-limited and small devices to work longer. Researchers are already working on the next generation of IoTs sensors that can connect to a mobile network connection in a period of 10 years without the need for recharging the battery.

Nokia’s invention can either decrease the size of the battery by more than 50% or increase the aforementioned time by 15 years. Accordingly, drones that use 5G can operate longer with the same weight or they will be lighter but still have the same working times. It is also expected that this innovation will support the systems of renewable energy that use batteries to make up for solar and wind power’s uneven supplies.

Nokia has already filed a patent for this new technology. And the company plans to market it in the future. Similar to other new battery technologies, Nokia's researchers refused to give a specific timetable for when the technology will be commercialized.