Battery Regenerators give new life to dead cells

Device doesn't recharge, but rather cleans old batteries

22 September 2006 15:48 GMT / By Amber Maitland

Earlier in the week Pocket-lint reported on the USBCELL, which is an AA battery that contains a built-in USB plug to recharge from any USB port.

There’s another option other than rechargeable batteries and the USBCELL out there that has been developed by a company called Souvenir Cranwell.

Their patented invention is a battery regenerator for regular, non-rechargeable alkaline batteries, and is based on a Thomas Edison patent of 1922. According to the company, the inventor found out that alkaline batteries become flat in part because of impurities that accumulate on and in the positive electrode, and that the active material becomes coated with a scale that impairs the efficiency.

Edison’s invention was to clean the electrode elements to bring them back to their original efficiency by boiling them in glycerin, water and caustic soda. The Regenerator also cleans electrodes, but does so in the battery.

They claim that using the device, you can regenerate a battery up to a 100 times, and that most alkaline batteries, including Duracell Plus and Energizer Ultra can be regenerated to 95% of original capacity. It also works on certain heavy duty and titanium batteries.

The average number of regeneration cycles, according to the company, is 11, although the researchers have managed a best result of 104 cycles. The downside is that each treatment takes 72 hours.

The device uses a low current of 35 mA, so that there’s no danger from explosions or overheating.

In addition to the original Regenerator, the company has also developed a Solar Battery Regenerator, which is even more environmentally friendly.

You can take a look at the products at the company’s href="http://www.souvenir-cranwell.com/" target="_blank">website; they do not sell directly to the public, but rather to resellers.