TECHNOLOGY

SmartEnergi has solved the fundamental problems the battery industry has not been able to solve for decades; inability to develop batteries that have large stable capacity that is reversible, and can simultaneously support high charge/discharge rate, and long cycle life. These drawbacks are primarily due to the limitations of the electrolyte, electrode material chemistries and current electrode manufacturing processes.

 SmartEnergi addresses these limitations with SE™ Technology Platform, which is a set of proprietary game changing energy storage technology solutions consisting of three key innovations: nanomaterial chemistry innovation, electrode manufacturing process innovation, and multifunctional material innovation. These innovations are protected by IP, and SmartEnergi has exclusive manufacturing and worldwide distribution rights.

 INNOVATIONS

1. Nanomaterial Chemistry Innovation

Uses nanoparticles as active materials to achieve:

• Higher surface area to volume ratio, providing extra active sites for Li-ion storage
• Larger surface area enables higher lithium-ion flux across the electrode and electrolyte interface.
• Reduction in path length for Li-ion in nano size active material improves Li-ion diffusion and enhances the capability for faster charging and discharging

Proprietary material formulation, which uses no traditional binding materials, dramatically reduces the amount of non-active materials: 

• Increases the amount of active materials that can be packed into the same volume (space), thereby increasing both capacity/energy/power output per weight and per volume (Innovation can increase the amount of active material up to 97% by weight of the electrode vs 70 to 80% with conventional methods)
  

2. MANUFACTURING PROCESS INNOVATION 

Proprietary and highly efficient electrode coating process without the use of binding materials

3. MULTIFUNCTIONAL MATERIAL SYSTEM

Smart enclosures/housing/packaging based on carbon-nanotubes reinforced plastics and other materials engineered for better thermal management and fire retardant of batteries and other energy storage devices that have high current density requirements.

Benefits of The SE™ Technology Platform

Existing Problems That Will be Eliminated

Need to Increase Volume and Weight of Active Materials Available in The Electrode for Electrochemical Reactions

• Current battery making methods use binding agents in material formulations
• Typical active material loading in the electrode is 70-80 % by weight
• Significant proportion of the weight (and volume) of the electrode is not available for electrochemical reactions, limiting electrochemical performance such as the specific capacity of the electrode, specific energy of the cell and energy density of the cell.
• Current manufacturing methods make nanoparticles too expensive to be considered for increasing active materials available in the electrode for ionic reactions in the cells

Next

Capacity Loss Due to SEI On Graphite Anode

• Commonly used graphite anode is unstable in the electrolyte. A thick layer of protective Solid Electrolyte Interface/Interphase (SEI) is created that consumes 10% of the capacity after the first cycle
• Initial 10% capacity reduction after the first cycle is lost forever, and gets worse with time 

Next

Low Reversible Capacity and Short Cycle Life At High Rate 

• Inherent properties and characteristics of active materials lead to large volume expansion or insufficient electronic conductivity when the electrode is subjected to high cycling rate (charge/discharge).
• Large volume changes lead to mechanical degradation of the electrode and/or low capacity.
• Mechanical degradation of the electrode contributes to a shorter cycle life

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ELECTRODE MANUFACTURING
INNOVATION – “THE NEXT BIG THING”

A. Application of Electrode Making Innovation
to Lithium-ion Batteries

SmartEnergi can start with any proven electrode material (anode and cathode) and manufacture superior electrodes (anode and cathode) compared to a similar electrode developed using conventional manufacturing. Simultaneously have the following capabilities:

B. Application of Electrode Making Innovation
to Other Energy Storage Devices 
With Different Electrode Chemistries

SmartEnergi Platform Technology Can Be Applied to Make High Performance Electrodes for Other Energy Storage Solutions