Performance of the Electronic devices that use Lithium-ion batteries will start to degrade in extreme Heat or Cold conditions. Electric Cars also face this problem.
Researchers from Purdue University have found a solution for this issue.
They have made a “thermal switch” using compressible graphene foam, that dynamically adjusts to temperatures both inside and outside the device to maintain consistent thermal management.
Graphene foam is a solid, open-cell foam made of single-layer sheets of graphene. MIT scientists already use Graphene Foam to filter the toxins from drinking water.
Graphene foam is a commercially available product, built from nanoscopic particles of carbon deposited in a specific pattern, with small voids of air in between. When the foam is uncompressed, it acts as an insulator, with the air pockets keeping the heat in place. But when the foam is physically compressed, the air escapes, and more heat is conducted out through the foam. Depending on how much the foam is compressed, the amount of heat transfer can be precisely dialed in.
The researcher says that when the ambient is very hot, their thermal switch can transfer heat out to cool the batteries down, and when the ambient is too cold, their thermal switch can turn off heat transfer to keep the batteries warm.
This form of dynamic thermal management has potential applications beyond just cell phones. It could potentially be used in larger electronics, electric car batteries, space vehicles, and even biomedical devices.
News Source: Purdue University
