Technology
Funded in Nov 2007 for advanced electric energy storage applications, NanoTune develops and produces the world’s first monolithic nanoporous electrode of 3D interconnected shape-distorted graphene layers, using patented nanotuning® and nanocasting® polymerization technology. Our monolithic electrodes deviate from the traditional supercap and their inefficiencies of activated powder, surface area clogging, binding agents, and non contributing materials. Instead, the NanoTune process combines a series of separate gains over the current supercap baseline (5Wh/kg energy and 10kW/kg power densities) and we will continue research and development to optimize further.
Market Entry & Impact
NanoTune currently produces electrodes that reach 20Wh/kg and 15kW/kg in assembled cells. Continued work targets the milestones of 40/20 to provide alternative for Lead-acid batteries and 120/30 for Li-ion, within the next two years. In addition to these gains, the supercaps can sustain a wide range of temperatures, recharge with low efficiency losses, release no heat when discharged, and can be used for 500,000+ cycles. Production will scale rapidly and can cast electrodes to any shape and size, while using only inexpensive, domestic, recyclable, and non-hazardous materials. Ultimately, NanoTune electrodes will present a low cost disruption to the electric energy storage and power markets long before they reach their theoretical potential of 1kWh/kg.
Strategically, NanoTune prototypes will begin to work in tandem with Li-ion batteries in limited quantity as early as Q3 2012. These hybrid cells will have an immediate impact on the available power, recharge times, and lifespan of consumer devices. We also expect to impact the EV industry by reducing the Li-ion battery weight and extending their lifetime. Our potential impact extends to virtually everything that currently uses batteries or demands electric energy and power, including smart grid, utility scale storage, industrial, healthcare, and military applications.
Cost
The manufacturing cost of our electrodes and the supercap units will be much lower than competitors in $/Wh and $/kW. For a standard 18650 or D size Li-ion cell, the cost today is $2.50/unit for an average use of 500 cycles. Our cells will be produced for about the same cost but deliver increasingly better rates of $/Wh and $/kW.
Collaboration
Current EDLC supercap vendors (such as Maxwell) deliver an energy density around 5-6Wh/kg (compare to our current 20Wh/kg and projected 200Wh/kg in 2014). We welcome information on other technology advance and potential application partners. Please send us the description of your application idea, we will be happy to work with you on design based on NanoTune Technologies.
