Practical fiber batteries for wearables based on thermally drawn Zn-MnO2
ENS Maximilian Ulbert
Research Fellow
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
The concept of the Internet-of-Things has inspired growth in the field of wearable technology, from aesthetically-pleasing color changing fabrics to practical heart rate monitors, all interwoven into any variety of clothes (ie. shirts, pants, hats, blankets, bags, etc.). For a continuously operating wearable system, an energy storage vessel is needed: a battery.
This work seeks to address both assembly and safety issues by developing an easily manufacturable fiber battery by means of a thermal draw tower using a safer Zn-ion chemistry (Zn/MnO2) with a gel polymer electrolyte (GPE). As the GPE offers a high ionic conductivity, mechanical properties compatible with thermal draw towers and provides a physical separator between cathode and anode, the performance of lab scale prototypes and a drawn-fiber prototype will be discussed.