Battery power

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ITI Energy is to invest over £5 million in two research projects to develop the next generation of batteries for use in mobile phones, laptops and electric/hybrid electric vehicles.

ITI Energy, one of Scotland’s three Intermediary Technology Institutes, is to invest over £5 million in two research projects to develop the next generation of batteries for use in mobile phones, laptops and electric/hybrid electric vehicles (EV/HEVs).

£4 million will be used to develop a new low-cost, high-energy Lithium-ion rechargeable battery and £1.2 million to design an advanced battery management and power control system.

The first of the two R&D projects, involving collaboration between ITI Energy, QinetiQ and St. Andrews University, will focus on developing a new Fe-based cathode material for Li-Ion batteries to improvements their performance.

ITI believes that the new cathode will deliver 150% higher energy capacity and provide cost reductions of 20%. The high-energy battery technology will initially target the mobile phone and laptop markets, and then be applied to potential longer term opportunities in the EV/HEV market.

The second of the R&D projects involves the design, testing and development of an advanced battery management and power control system, initially for use with Li-ion technologies in EV/HEV applications.

Dundee-based MPower will lead the design and development of the Li-ion battery pack and the advanced battery management system. Aberdeen-based Axeon will provide its Vindax embedded neural network measurement and control technologies that will allow the state of charge/discharge of the battery system to be accurately managed, greatly improving battery performance and safety. Professor Peter Bruce, from St Andrews University, will provide specialist testing, modelling and advisory services to both projects.

ITI Energy will own the IP created from the investments and seek to commercialise the technologies created with the partners from each of the projects.

ITI Energy is one of three operating groups that make up ITI Scotland Ltd. The Scottish Executive has committed £450 million over the next 10 years to support the work of the ITIs in developing technologies to meet the needs of new and emerging markets.