SE™ Technology Platform
GAME CHANGING INNOVATION: SMARTENERGI HAS SOLVED THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS THE BATTERY INDUSTRY HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE FOR DECADES
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
Material Benefits of The Innovation
Reversible reaction with a higher capacity, endurable structure during Li-ion insertion/extraction, and stable surface in the electrolyte
Environmental Benefits of The Innovation
Elimination of binding agents in material formulation and the electrode coating process eliminates NMP, a toxic chemical used to dissolve binding agents in current electrode manufacturing
Low Cost Manufacturing
Low cost innovative nanomaterial and electrode manufacturing, which are applicable to commercially available micro- and nano- structured materials.
Electrode Benefits of The Innovation
High electrical conductivity , better mechanical integrity, much improved safety, lower cost electrodes, abundant and low cost anode active raw materials
Multifunctional Material
System Benefits
Smart enclosures manufactured with carbon nanotube reinforced plastics and other materials offer better thermal management! Fire retardant properties engineered into smart enclosures helps retard fires.
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
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
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:
Higher capacity
electrode
Electrode capacity
is reversible
Faster Charging
HIGHER POWER
Longer Cycle Life
Limited or
no environmental
footprints
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