nanoFlowcell is a London based European company focused on flow battery technology. Flow batteries are an interesting concept. Unlike lithium batteries or fuel cells, he stores electricity in two fluid chambers separated by a membrane. Due to the cheap and abundant basic materials, it has great potential for low-cost and environmentally friendly energy storage. To add capacity, simply make the tank bigger.
As such, flow batteries are ideal for energy storage, whether in the basement of a building or part of a grid-scale installation, but their size and weight make them difficult to use in vehicles. nanoFlowcell has designed numerous concept and prototype cars over the past decade and presented them to the public at his Geneva Motor show. Its latest concept is a delicious little crumpet known as the Quantino 25.
Don't want to miss the cleantech talk? Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica by email. Or follow us on Google News.
Looking for CleanTechnica tips, promotions, or guests on the CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.
advertisement
Flow batteries and Bi-ION fluids
Powering the nanoFlowcell ecosystem are charged fluids called Bi-IONs, which are derived from seawater or reclaimed wastewater. It works like hydrogen in a fuel cell. Hydrogen is pumped up and passed through a fuel cell to generate electricity. The Quantino 25, which the company calls a "2+2 sports car," generates electricity by pumping two liquids across the membrane interface. Two 33-gallon tanks are mounted low on the chassis so that the lithium-ion battery pack can fit in a regular electric vehicle. Filling up the Bi-ION gives him a car that in 2.5 seconds he dashes to 100 km / h thanks to four electric motors of 80 hp each. And get this.according to auto blog, the company says the Quantino 25 has 1200 miles of range on a full tank. Goodbye range anxiety, hello happy motoring. Water weighs about 8 pounds per gallon, so the "fuel" to travel 1,200 miles weighs about 528 pounds. With the cooling that comes with a traditional lithium-ion battery pack, it can travel that far and weigh at least three times as much. Granted, the Quantino 25 isn't a production car, and very few people have ever driven it, but with such a range-to-weight ratio, the anticipation should make your whiskers twitch a bit. I have. The people here are actually auto car We drove an early prototype at the TCS test track near Zurich, Switzerland in 2016 and found it to be a real driveable car. My colleague Jennifer Sensiba reported that in April 2019, the company's Quantino test vehicle passed the 350,000 km (220,000 mile) mark with no signs of damage to the membranes or pumps, and no damage at all. It didn't appear to be worn out. The vehicle's engineer noted that it had 10,000 hours of driving time at this point. The company says it wants to bring its flow battery technology to her EV maker and give the system her 50,000-hour warranty. That equates to well over a million miles. The problem, of course, is that there is no Bi-ION refueling infrastructure yet, but that doesn't mean it won't exist someday. Tesla also didn't have a Supercharger network when it first started, but it worked out pretty well for Musk and company.announced by nanoFlowcell USA
nanoFlowcell announced this week that it has created a new New York-based division to bring its flow battery technology to the United States. The mission of the new division is to adapt the nanoFlowcell process to US-specific applications and to develop nanoFlowcell applications in America. One of the priorities is to start serial production of flow battery vehicles and build a large-scale bi-ION production facility that will provide portable renewable energy for nanoFlowcell applications. Bi-ION electrolytes are high-density energy carriers that enable large amounts of renewable energy to be stored and transported. The company says it will manufacture the energy carrier bi-ION from 100% renewable energy. Flow cell energy technology is a key solution to significantly reduce global greenhouse gas emissions as mandated by the Paris Agreement, the company said. Its many advantages include being a safe and clean energy source for many energy-intensive processes and transportation services. Nunzio La Vecchia, CEO of nanoFlowcell Holdings said: “We need energy from renewables to be safe, storable and transportable to drive environmentally sustainable economic growth. and the development of appropriate infrastructure.With the establishment of nanoFlowcell USA, we have reached an important milestone in this regard for the future development of the company.”Focus on renewable energy
Bi-ION production costs are directly related to electricity costs from renewable energy sources. With the expansion of renewable energy accelerating under the Inflation Control Law, nanoFlowcell believes that the cost of electricity from solar power will become relatively low in the future, making energy sources such as Bi-ION even more competitive. I expect. “With the Control Inflation Act, the United States is making the largest investment in clean energy in U.S. history, and the potential implications for renewable energy are far-reaching.” I'm here. Where necessary, we will build and expand our manufacturing and infrastructure and enter into strategic partnerships to integrate nanoFlowcell technology into all sectors of the economy. " “More importantly, together with nanoFlowcell USA, we hope to accelerate the decarbonization of the global economy and create economic, social and ecological prosperity. The clean energy sector will create 500,000 additional jobs and we want to do our part to make this happen.”Takeaway
The nanoFlowcell is more than just an electric vehicle. Among other things, we want to be involved in grid-scale energy storage.But for those of us here soaking in hot tubs heated by excess heat from nearby data centers clean technica Thanks to our global headquarters, our contribution to emission-free transportation can be immense. Some companies still chasing the hydrogen fuel cell dream are finding the company's flow battery technology cheaper and more durable without the headaches associated with producing, storing and transporting hydrogen. you might notice. Bi-ION refueling stations cost probably less than 10 times less than hydrogen refueling stations. Partnering with leading manufacturers makes it easy to build the infrastructure needed to make this dream a reality. Hey, people laughed at his 2010 Tesla. At least, this is a company that we will keep an eye on. Take the 2022 CleanTechnica Reader Survey for a chance to win an electric bike. Appreciate CleanTechnica's creativity and cleantech news reporting? Consider becoming a CleanTechnica Member, Supporter, Technician, Ambassador or Patreon patron.Don't want to miss the cleantech talk? Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica by email. Or follow us on Google News.
Looking for CleanTechnica tips, promotions, or guests on the CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.