Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ZapGoCharger (Rapid charging of cordless appliances using graphene-based supercapacitors)

Teaser

There is an ongoing and rapid migration from corded to cordless equipment across a diverse range of consumer and industrial products. The incumbent battery technology used in these devices is Lithium-ion (Li-ion) which, whilst it provides sustained power (energy density), has...

Summary

There is an ongoing and rapid migration from corded to cordless equipment across a diverse range of consumer and industrial products. The incumbent battery technology used in these devices is Lithium-ion (Li-ion) which, whilst it provides sustained power (energy density), has limited lifetime and carries significant safety and environmental risks throughout the product lifecycle.

ZapGo is developing a radical solution for these cordless products - a new type of energy storage device that uses safe and recyclable materials which can sustain hundreds of thousands charge/discharge cycles. This technology, called Carbon-Ion (C-Ion), incorporates highly conductive nano-carbons and novel ionic electrolytes in a pouch cell format that can then be built into power pack modules for use with a wide range of electronic equipment.

The overall objective of this project is to develop tested, commercially viable supercapacitors for charging cordless power tools and cordless household appliances. Initially, the C-Ion cells were optimised for the requirements of this target market and now fully-interchangeable C-Ion power packs for existing cordless products have been developed. These demonstrator products will be used in trials to evaluate their performance and gather market feedback. In preparation for the commercial roll out, ZapGo continue to establish the partnerships necessary throughout the supply chain and put in place the necessary sales and marketing infrastructure, including pre-contract agreements with key customers.

Work performed

During this reporting period we have sought to consolidate relationships with customers for this cordless equipment and collaborated with them to develop optimised power pack designs for their applications. Significant progress has been made in this period in the commercialisation of the C-Ion technology in partnership with our strategic suppliers.

During 2018 we continued to put in place a world-class supply chain from raw materials to completed power pack. This focussed strongly on scale-up activities to take us from and output of 100 cells/month to a supply chain capable of 100,000 cells/month. In the course of this work we identified that the most reliable and cost-effective cell size for our entry into high volume manufacture is 210 x 180 mm. LiFun are establishing a production facility for us and they will be able to turn out production quantities of these cells in 2019 but due the complexity of the process they are unable at the same time to make the much smaller sized cells required for cordless products during this project. The alternative route open to us for this short-term cell supply requirement is with a UK manufacturing partner, AGM Batteries, who are able to make smaller-format cells in small quantities for trial purposes. AGM have worked with us on several previous projects and they can fulfil a suitable scope of work for us, however they needed several more months to accommodate it and so in P2 we applied for an extension due to these changes, as well as a delay in finding and recruiting trial partners.

We are very pleased to report that we are now working with French company Desoutter Tools head-quartered in Nantes. Founded in 1914, Desoutter is a global leader in electric and pneumatic tools serving a wide range of assembly and manufacturing operations including the aerospace, automotive and general industrial sectors. We have set up a working party and engineering teams have visited each other’s operations and exchanged data and knowledge in each direction. We have collaborated with Desoutter to design two variants of a power pack for their Impact Tool range. On the vacuum cleaner front, we have finally secured the attention of two potential partners, the fast-growing British contender Gtech and the US-owned SharkNinja. The latter company has provided us with a sample robot cleaner and we have developed a power pack for this application.

To increase industry awareness of the products that will be available as a direct result of this project, we have presented at a range of events, shared our progress through social media and produced technical documentation targeted at both engineers and commercial decision makers.

Final results

The improvements in cell energy density that we have achieved through this project has taken the technology beyond the current state of the art commercially available for super capacitors with energy densities up to twice that of 4 competitor products tested.

Our C-Ion cells can therefore be effectively utilised for energy storage and delivery in a wider range of industries than was previously possible. The power tool and cleaning markets have niche sectors within them, which can quickly exploit the benefits of the fast-charging, high cycle life offered by C-Ion. A prime example is the Desoutter application, using power tools on assembly lines with fast takt times. In this scenario the tools experience short bursts of activity, with periods of idle time in between each cycle – a C-Ion pack can deliver the energy required for each assembly activity and then recharge again in the ‘down-time’ in each takt period. The extended tool life, significantly reduced maintenance costs and improved health benefits from a lighter tool show the range of positive impacts that will be enjoyed by businesses employing this technology.

There are advantages for all stakeholders when C-Ion is used to replace traditional li-ion batteries:
For business users the lifetime costs for this technology will be far lower due to its minimal transportation restrictions, modest maintenance requirements and long cycle life.
The safety of the non-flammable, non-toxic cells will protect direct users of this technology.
Society will benefit from the low environmental impact due to the materials used and their recyclability. Additionally, there will be re-lifing opportunities as the C-Ion power packs will outlast many of the products which they were originally sold with.
For equipment manufacturers, integrating this technology into their products, will offer commercial advantages, e.g. new designs, and therefore new markets, that are only possible with this technology, changing user behaviour to reflect new fast-charging capabilities and, with the long life, enabling new business models that reflect the growing trend towards lifetime ‘pay-per-use’ platforms.

Website & more info

More info: http://www.zapgo.com.