We spoke with James Dyson about his company’s pursuit of this next-generation battery type to power its future gadgets.

Written by Rob Wilger | Published 2:41 PM, October 25, 2021

Lithium-ion batteries power a large number of modern devices, from electric cars such as Chevrolet Bolt to iPhones to handheld vacuum cleaners from companies such as Dyson. 

In fact, in James Dyson’s new memoir, "Invention: A Lifetime," he pointed out that between 2012 and 2014, his company-known for its battery-powered vacuum cleaners and other gadgets-"consumed It accounts for about 6 percent of the global supply of lithium-ion batteries." 

This is just a fascinating detail in a book about Dyson’s seminal career: In his early days, he sold a ship called Sea Truck, and then he invented a new type of wheelbarrow called Ballbarrow. And finally created a vacuum cleaner design that uses a cyclone-fast rotating air-to separate the dirt, instead of relying on the bag to do the job. 

Dyson also devoted a chapter to the electric cars that the company developed but did not sell; he also wrote about the company's work on developing better batteries. "One of the reasons-not the only reason, but a secondary reason-we stopped the car," Dyson said, "is that we must invest heavily in our new solid-state battery technology, which will undoubtedly increase with traffic efficiency. The improvement of the transportation system will continue to change the mode of transportation."

"This is the area we are researching," he said, referring to solid-state battery technology. "We start production now." 

There is a key difference between solid-state batteries and the traditional types of lithium-ion batteries that are common today-more precisely what they are now. "The potential of this technology is undoubtedly the future, at least for batteries," he said.

"We have a lot of battery-powered products online, not only in our current field," he added, "but in other fields, these batteries will become an essential and very important part." 

He said that products with next-generation batteries will be launched "soon."

The following is the knowledge about the solid-state lithium-ion battery-why it is expected to be a step forward than the way ordinary lithium-ion batteries work, and why the new technology can become an asset in everyday equipment handheld vacuum cleaners.

The simplest is that a basic lithium-ion battery contains two electrodes. One is the positive electrode, or cathode. The other is the negative electrode, or anode. The tiny positively charged lithium ions play a key role in the function of the battery. 

When the battery is charged, lithium ions are on the negative electrode; the most basic lithium-ion battery stores these ions in the graphite on the anode. According to Greg Rice, the technical director of the University of Michigan Battery Laboratory, the graphite is "a stack of connected hexagonal sheets." "The lithium ion slides between these flakes and finds a comfortable place."

When you charge the battery, electrons flow from the wall socket and reach the negative pole of the battery and the graphite sheet. At the same time, the positively charged lithium ions are on the same side, balancing the negative charges of the electrons. 

[Related: General Motors is recalling all bolts, but there is no need to worry about the safety of electric vehicles]

When you use a battery to do something, such as powering a motor in an electric car, electrons flow out of the battery through the circuit, and the lithium ions in the battery move to the other side of the battery. Now those lithium ions are over on the cathode. When you charge the battery again and the ions move back to the anode, the process continues. 

"We push electrons back and forth through external circuits, and push positive ions back and forth inside the cell," he said. This animation from the US Department of Energy shows this process well; the positive electrode (cathode) is on the left. 

When lithium ions shuttle back and forth in the battery, they pass through the liquid electrolyte, just like a swimmer in a pool. Finally, a separator inside the battery separates the two sides. It allows lithium ions to pass through it, but not electrons. 

[Related: The huge cost of Bolt's electric car recall fell on LG]

Solid-state batteries replace liquid electrolytes with solid-state batteries—a pool that allows lithium-ion swimmers to travel back and forth. 

So why replace the electrolyte? "The reason we want to remove the liquid electrolyte is that it is heavy," Less said. "It's expensive and flammable-flammability is a big problem." This is because, he said, "the electrolyte is actually a liquid fuel." 

The result of all this is that someday solid-state batteries may be a better way to power things like Dyson vacuum cleaners or electric cars. "The advantage is obviously energy density, and perhaps safety," Less reflects. 

Because the energy density of a solid-state battery is higher, it can hold more power, which means that the electric vacuum cleaner you hold in your hand can last longer. "If you can provide more power to a cordless vacuum cleaner, that would be great," Less said. "It makes sense to use these high-energy-density batteries for vacuum cleaners or power tools." 

Ultimately, Less does not believe that solid-state batteries must replace every existing battery. For example, people still use ordinary alkaline batteries in remote controls, while internal combustion engine cars still use lead-acid batteries to start the vehicle. Currently, solid-state lithium-ion batteries may be best used to power things like vacuum cleaners before transferring them to larger objects such as electric cars. 

He said: "You don't actually start with a solid-state electric car," he said. "You will take the first step and make a household item like a vacuum cleaner."

Rob Verger is the technical editor of Popular Science. He covers aviation, military, transportation, security and other complex technical topics. He graduated from Columbia School of Journalism and wrote for The Boston Globe, Newsweek, Daily Beast, CJR, VICE News, and other publications. Contact the author here.

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