The perfect energy storage compound in nature?

[RedDevil]

Scientists at the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia have developed a glucose based battery that packs ten times the power per weight of a conventional Li-Ion battery.
It was published January 21 by nature.com, see http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/14...comms4026.html.

It is effectively a fuel cell that turns glucose and oxygen from the air into CO2 and water.
It cannot be recharged, but it can be replenished by filling it up with maltodextrin.

The scientists think it can be applied to making small handheld appliances like smartphones to make them last more than a week on one charge (tank?)
But I don't see why this could not be used to make a pollution free car, combining EV and glucose burning fuel cell technology.

Of course the car would still need batteries as the fuel cells cannot regenerate glucose. And you might want to charge those batteries from the mains, if that is cheaper than tanking glucose. But there will be no more range and charge time issues

The future may be sweet

[MPGsteward]

Im dreading the day my Lead batteries start to die off. This is hopeful for new battery technology. If I could afford to get away from buying a new lead battery pack that would be great. The 1300 lb pack killls my range and truck handeling.

[botsapper]

Earth's living beings and over-active little boys already run on it. Sugar batteries or enzymatic (neither explosive or flammable) battery fuel cell, maltodextrin is combined with air, water and electricity are produced! The synthetic enzymatic pathway is stripped of all the sugar's potential charge, thereby generating electricity and its only byproduct is water. The sugar battery has more energy density than most other batteries and the most environmentally friendly way to produce a transportable energy source.

...a unicorn corral?

Researchers develop energy-dense sugar battery

http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/14...comms4026.html

[niky]

Hmmm... wholesale maltodextrin is under $1k per ton... but repackaged, food-grade is at $1 per kilogram.

If that's the same energy density as fuel, it would cost about the same as gasoline in terms of weight. Probably a lot less, since it doesn't have to be food-grade... then factor in the price of the container...

Just might work.

Might.

-

Looking at it, the energy density might not mean gasoline equivalence... Oh well...

[P-hack]

dextrose comes in at 16kJ/g, compared to ethanol at 29kJ/g. Still lots of potential, but enzymes don't like cold (or really hot) temperatures. Raw fuel for sterling engine hybrid?

[jamesqf]

I'd call it a fuel cell rather than a battery*, but it's one of those things I've long wondered about. Why develop fuel cells that work on expensive to produce, difficult to store & transport hydrogen, when there are stable & fairly cheap compounds like sugar?

As I see the developers do in their paper.

[user removed]

The energy density would be offset by higher efficiency powertrains, as long at the energy produced was at a high enough efficiency.

regards
mech

[Astro]

Originally Posted by RedDevil

...It is effectively a fuel cell that turns glucose and oxygen from the air into CO2 and water.
...
But I don't see why this could not be used to make a pollution free car, combining EV and glucose burning fuel cell technology.

The future may be sweet

Umm... I don't think it could be called pollution free if one of its main by products is CO2.

Or did i miss something?

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Astro

Umm... I don't think it could be called pollution free if one of its main by products is CO2.

Or did i miss something?

Confusion is understandable because there is a lot of FUD concerning CO2 emissions. Many intelligent people would not consider CO2 to be a pollutant.

I would consider CO2 a pollutant if the net of the negative consequences outweigh the net of the positive consequences of emission. This has yet to be proven.

[Xist]

A maltodextrin fuel cell? Sounds interesting!

Isn't water vapor (from H2 systems) a greenhouse gas?