Two years ago, the Realme manufacturer presented the mobile with the most powerful fast charge: 240 W for its GT 3 smartphone. This It allows the mobile to completely load in just 9 and a half minutes. Since then, few manufacturers, not even the most recognized, have approached these figures. The problem is that this charger is not worth any mobile, only for GT 3.
This, in large part, is because the algorithm that regulates the load capacity, the power and controls the heating of the mobile, was also designed by Realme. And for this phone. A better cable or a more powerful charger is not enough, it is a whole set. To better understand the functioning and future of the batteries, we talk to Clutch Wu, Product Market Specialist by Realme
“The battery algorithm is very important because, at this time, the main plan of manufacturers worldwide is to use a strategy that allows you to go from 0 % to 50 % as quickly as possible -explains WU in telephone conversation -. The current is greater and, after loading the phone at 50 %, the maximum load power will be gradually reduced and the current that passes through the battery will also decrease. Therefore, imagine that you want to load a battery of 5000 milliamp using a load technology of 120 watts, in total, from 1 % to 100 %it could be about 25 minutes, but it can carry 50 % in 10 minutes. ”
And now it is when the algorithms, small computer instructions included in the charger and recognizable by the phone that they balance to prolong speed as much as possible and that the last 50% do not drop so much.
“That depends on each manufacturer’s strategy -confirms Wu -. In our case, we have the most advanced longevity algorithm of the industry, since it calculates the voltage of the batteries, the positive and negative electrodes in real time for our phones. During the load process, we keep the cell parameters in a safe range. Compared to other manufacturers, they only try to balance, calculating the different power, current and voltage every 30 or 40 seconds, it is a different process. But We calculate every second so that it is as balanced as possible. That is why we have the longevity algorithms of more advanced cells. ”
In a certain sense, Loading a mobile is like pouring water from a very large cube to a smaller one… Only, as we throw the water, the container that receives it heats it. The mission is to do it as quickly as possible, without it hot. Nor does it turn a lot.
“It could be something like that -accepts Wu -. What you have to worry about is the heat, because when the system, the entire load system is heated, the efficiency of the delivery of the current will be less and less. So the only thing to worry about is controlling the temperature. So it is not as if you put the water inside and some water came out. It is not so. It is as if you poured water inside the cube in a more elegant and reasonable way. And for this you need to use the best tool and control it. Basically, we control the voltage, the current in the best balance so that the tool is in the perfect form ”.
The question is whether algorithms only control the temperature or have more functions.
“The algorithms are also important for speed -nods WU, from their offices in China -, of course, because if your strategy is like that of all others and you look for speed, you have to control the current and the voltage, otherwise it will be a disaster because it will be a bit risky if you load too fast. So I would say that the most important factor for algorithms is to keep the load safe and, at the same time, longevity. People want to use their phone more than two years or even three years, four years, therefore, the battery should be able to survive during that time or much more than three years. That is why we have to develop some advanced algorithms. ”
In this way, what you have to address, as regards future and evolution of batteries, it is the longevity of the same. The loading and download cycles have direct consequences and, as it progresses, the dissipation of heat acts as a kind of climate change that multiplies in each cycle. The key is, then, control the heat.
“First, when we design the battery, there is a kind of electrolyte in the middle to produce the chemical reaction -confirms Wu -. So We use the most advanced electrolytes and use the best battery suppliersthat is, material suppliers, such as anode content. That is, the silicon content. At this time, the best silicon battery in the industry has 10 % silicon within the battery, our goal is to take it to 15 % this year, very soon. ”
But is silicon content enough to regulate dissipation? The more it is used inside a batterYoA, greater beingto Power density. But even a limit.
“Normally, for the Realme GT series, we have how 11 layers of dissipation inside, we place them inside the smartphonelike different steam cameras (VC) -explains Wu -. That would help dissipate heat in a faster way. We focus on different sources and then make it dissipated more quickly. So this is the second area. And the third is really important. We are trying to develop some new type of batteries, such as the solid state battery. ”
Solid state batteries are the future alternative to those of Ion-Litio (which are based on a polymer gel) taking into account that the latter are reaching their maximum potential.
“This is -confirms Wu -. If we use the solid state battery it will be very easy to solve heat problems. Because they do not contain electrolytes or separators. So there is no heat risk when loading it, they are safer. And that is the third technology we are trying to develop. We may see it in the future, but it will also be very challenging. ”
Now, until that moment comes, in terms of physics, Heat is energy. Can you use that heat in your favor? Can you use that heat to feed the battery? There are many ways to generate heat when we use our phones.
“The idea is interesting -Wu is raised -. The problem is that, right now, steam cameras cannot analyze or cannot judge whether the heat generated is produced by the load or because we are playing. But we can distinguish the different areas and judge them and make dissipation work. What we can do is that artificial intelligence do this job. If we put an AI agent within the cooling system and give some instructions as if the heat comes from the battery itselfwe can make the battery hot or something in a cold environment. I would say that, in the predictable future, we could consider that and we will do everything possible to see if it is going to be a mass production method or not. ”
This load system or at least energy recycling is not the only one that can be used in the future. For example, a type of load that does not require wireless cables or surfaces: load through air.
“At this time, the wireless load still needs a support and that makes it not a true wireless load experience -confirms WU -. But loading through the air is. So, actually, We are developing true wireless load technologybut you still need to adapt to the different laws, the areas of legislation, especially in Europe, you know, it is very difficult. We talk about it in different countries, as in Southeast Asia, where the law is more open. It is a more open market for us to do experiments. ”
In fact, as when we ran or something, using the energy of our own body can cause the true wireless load to occur. Through air or different senses, we might need Another good, sensitive and useful sensor to detect the energy of our own bodylike the heat we generate when running, as the way we breathe, although when we breathe, we continue to use energy. So, basically, it is also a good idea. ”
The future is interesting in this regard, but Wu does not stay in this prognosis and advances the last one, a very close one.
“Yes, in 2030, in five years, I would say that battery capacity will definitely exceed 15,000 mAh. The average will absolutely exceed 15,000. And I would say it is too conservative. Most likely to exceed 20,000 mAh thanks to the new materials. Then we would not need to load the phone every day, but every three or four, ”says Wu.