Here is an article describing a breakthrough technology that makes it possible to mass produce graphene. This will enable battery manufacturers to produce lithium batteries with significantly greater charge density in a smaller lighter package. It looks as though real graphene batteries, not those bloated heavy fakes that just say it on the wrapper, are going to be a reality sooner that we had hoped.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-te...cing-graphene/

Sweet. I've been following the development of the Lithium Sulfur batteries since first hearing about them last year. If they or something similar work out for hobby use, our power to weight ratios will step up to a whole other level. It will probably be the final blow to glow engines on anything but niche nostalgia type projects. It will also completely open up pattern planes to be lighter and have better endurance for the longer sequences. And don't get me started on all kinds of racing...

Very interseting. I have also been looking at the lithium sulfur batteries with interset. It will probably take forever for them to come out, but who knows. Less weight will be great for foamies. Safer stuff would be cool to, no need to worry about short circuits. Small glow engines will definatley become rare if some new battery tech comes oout. If the price for large batteries comes down, it may also mean less gas powerplants in giant scale. But whatever the battery technolgy is, it still won't sound right, so glow will never die.

I heard that these will have a nominal voltage of 2.1 volts..... GRRRRRRRRRR.......... all that means is all new electronics.

Hubert

They sure do talk funny in Kansas.


Good hope for batteries though. I'll put one in my glow igniter.

The nominal voltage shouldn't be an issue if the weight is as low as they say. A 6s pack would have a nominal voltage of 12.6v, just a bit more than a 3s lipo. It may mean we pick different Kv ratings for our motors to get the best performance, but it's definitely doable.

AHHH ok, that's good. Still means a new charger unles you want to charge 2 cells as one and figure out a way to balance them.

"put them in my glow igniter" LOL

Hubert

The peaking profile will probably be different, so unless you have a very adjustable charger, these will definitely require a new one. I don't see that as a big deal though. Chargers wear out and fail after a while anyway. If there is truly a performance benefit to be gained, the RC community as a whole will embrace the change and the support products we need will show up. If not, they won't. I remember a few years ago lots of people saying that A123/LiFe batteries were going to be a big paradigm shift with their massive amp capabilities. But it turned out that better power to weight ratios could be had with Lipos as they quickly developed, so LiFe batteries pretty much were relegated to high performance receiver packs and a few niche uses. I hope these work like many of us are hoping, but if they don't we'll know soon enough and the hobby will probably just continue to develop better Lipos.

I remember when the LiFe batteries were the wave of the future, turns out they were too bulky and heavy for cell phones. Fast forward to LiPo batteries and we have had a revolution in electric flight.

I see the new metal electrolyte batteries as being capable of very fast charging without fear of fire. And if the current numbers are true, they will provide twice the power as current LiPo's in the same size and weight package. Now that would be something.

So with the ability to manufacture graphene on an industrial scale and metal electrolyte technology, batteries could get really good. No longer will Chinese hucksters pour pencil lead into big fat battery packs and call them graphene, they will actually be real graphene batteries.

Well I just invested $190 in a new Hitec X-4 charger and I don't expect it to wear out anytime soon, if such a thing even happens. I still have an old triton that works just fine. Still newer safer (hopefully) technology is always welcome, but I will always have a gas plane for the noise