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Startup alert: Nanotecture promises tripling of energy-storage performance
Patrick Mannion
9/28/2010 12:26 PM EDT
Given the burgeoning need for improved storage methodologies, whether in batteries or supercapacitors, Nanotecture’s new nanoporous technology is really exciting. Here’s a quick synopsys.
A startup in the materials science space, Nanotecture’s breakthrough is to use liquid-crystal templating to create nanoporous materials that increase the surface area exposed to the electrolyte by up to 100 times, leading to, in this case, an increase in the charge/discharge rate of materials. In the specific application of supercapacitors, it translates to 3x more energy at the same power and 3x more power at the same energy, according to Nanotecture’s CEO, Bill Campbell.
If you’re a numerologist, you’ll probably tune into the coincidence that it’s also been shown to enable a 3x improvement in low-temperature performance.
For more details on how they do it and its possibilities, take a look at the full presentation, including diagrams, here.
The presentation focuses on ultracapacitors, and I show the comparison between Nanotecture’s and other commercial supercapacitors below. However, future applications include photovoltaic cells, catalytic converters and drug-delivery systems.
This week, Nanotecture announced that it had ‘ported’ its technology to manganese dioxide for use in Lithium Ion-based chemistries. That follows on the heels of a previous announcemet that it is building a pilot production facility for asymmetric supercapacitors based on its nanoporous nickel hydroxide (NiOH2).
An interesting side note: Many states have introduced anti-idle laws that restrict the amount of time that large commercial vehicles can continue running while stationary. Stationary running is needed for heating/cooling and refrigeration, etc..
According to Nanotecture’s CEO, Bill Campbell, this is a golden opportunity for ultracapacitors as they can provide the fast-discharge energy needed for restarting, thereby avoiding costly jump starts and maintenance costs if the main battery gets too low to restart the engine.
Nanotecture may be onto something here!
A startup in the materials science space, Nanotecture’s breakthrough is to use liquid-crystal templating to create nanoporous materials that increase the surface area exposed to the electrolyte by up to 100 times, leading to, in this case, an increase in the charge/discharge rate of materials. In the specific application of supercapacitors, it translates to 3x more energy at the same power and 3x more power at the same energy, according to Nanotecture’s CEO, Bill Campbell.
If you’re a numerologist, you’ll probably tune into the coincidence that it’s also been shown to enable a 3x improvement in low-temperature performance.
For more details on how they do it and its possibilities, take a look at the full presentation, including diagrams, here.
The presentation focuses on ultracapacitors, and I show the comparison between Nanotecture’s and other commercial supercapacitors below. However, future applications include photovoltaic cells, catalytic converters and drug-delivery systems.
This week, Nanotecture announced that it had ‘ported’ its technology to manganese dioxide for use in Lithium Ion-based chemistries. That follows on the heels of a previous announcemet that it is building a pilot production facility for asymmetric supercapacitors based on its nanoporous nickel hydroxide (NiOH2).
An interesting side note: Many states have introduced anti-idle laws that restrict the amount of time that large commercial vehicles can continue running while stationary. Stationary running is needed for heating/cooling and refrigeration, etc..
According to Nanotecture’s CEO, Bill Campbell, this is a golden opportunity for ultracapacitors as they can provide the fast-discharge energy needed for restarting, thereby avoiding costly jump starts and maintenance costs if the main battery gets too low to restart the engine.
Nanotecture may be onto something here!
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