nanoFlowcell technology: electric cars are not charged
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nanoFlowcell technology: electric cars are not charged

Scientists and designers associated with the automotive industry are thinking about how to solve two main problems with batteries for electric cars. These are low mileage and long charging time. Of course, the batteries must be affordable and not pollute the environment.


For now, lithium-ion energy storage devices "reign" on the world market. Work on creating a different type of battery is underway, but specific results are rarely heard about. Most often, prototypes are demonstrated and that's it! But who knows: maybe the ideas of some team of scientists continue to develop, but under a different brand and with different sponsors.

nanoFlowcell AG


This is a company with its head office located in the Swiss city of Kilchberg. It was founded in 1996 and has been a joint-stock company since 2021. The company first made a splash back in 2014, demonstrating its prototype at the Geneva Motor Show. At that time, the four-seater QUANT concept was shown - an electric car running on liquid batteries. The car was modified and, a year later, two versions were exhibited there.

First Electric Car with Liquid Battery: Geneva Motor Show

This is a modernized sports car QUANT FE and its urban "twin" - the QUANTiNO coupe. As the developer claimed, the public was shown pre-production samples.

Technical data


If the cars themselves were not particularly interesting, their characteristics were impressive. The QUANT F sports car was equipped with a power unit that developed 1090 "horses" and spun the engine to an unthinkable 2900 Nm. Acceleration to "hundreds" was 2,8 seconds (remember: this is 2016), the "maximum" is 380 km / h. The range on one charge (or refueling - more on this later) is 600 km. But its "brother" with more modest speed qualities (109 hp engine) is capable of traveling 1000 km without "recharging".

nanoFlowcell technology: electric cars are not chargedSporty QUANT F on the track. Photo: youtube.com

The head of the company's technology department, Nunzio La Vecchia, drove the city hatchback without stopping for 14 hours. After the end of the test, the electric car had 78% of its "fuel". However, what is this "miracle system" that has little in common with modern car batteries?

The essence of technology


An energy source operating on the same principles was first tested (patented) in 1976 by NASA engineers. It was assumed that such batteries would be installed on spaceships. The batteries were called "flow batteries", but they were not mass-produced due to their relatively large dimensions and low output power. And now the nanoFlowcell company has announced that they have managed to "cram" a lot of energy into 1 liter: four hundred times more than the same volume of a regular lead battery can hold.

What is a flow battery


In English it is called redox – reduction-oxidation, which is translated as "reduction-oxidation". Its cell is made in the form of a pair of electrodes, between which there is a membrane. It isolates the reservoirs from each other: one contains oxidizing, the second - reducing liquid, which do not mix. However, the membrane does not "prohibit" ion exchange.

As soon as the battery stops "making" energy, the electrolyte is replaced. It is poured in, like gasoline at a gas station. Only two tanks need to be filled separately: one is filled with oxidizing fluid, the other with restorative fluid.

In this case, the products of chemical reactions are washed out by the flowing liquid and sent back to the tank through the pumps. The volume is quite large. In the Quant E prototype, the capacity of the tank was 400 l (2 pcs. of 200 l)! The capacity of the battery depends on its volume.

The system operation diagram: in the center is the separating membrane. Photo: youtube.com

When designing the car, the entire structure had to be built literally around the electrolyte tanks. The flow battery "without rest" generates current, which accumulates in the capacitors. They guarantee impressive peak power and dynamics.

What's next?


The project is real, electric cars were demonstrated 9 years ago and today there are their improved versions (more on that later). But a lot of questions arise. Firstly, what is this liquid that the driver and passengers will be next to? Its composition is not disclosed - a commercial secret. The second question is what will happen if the electrolyte ends up outside: for example, in an accident. Thirdly, what is contained in the spent electrolyte and where to put it?

QUANTiNO: testing continues. Photo: youtube.com

True, regarding the last point, there is data that when using (2020) nanoFlowcell - the so-called "bi-ions" as a result of generating electricity, clean water is obtained. At the same time, the company assures that the battery (fuel cells) will last for 50 thousand hours of operation.

QUANTiNO testing in the city. Photo: youtube.com

If this is recalculated for the mileage at an average speed of 45 km/h, typical for urban conditions, it will be 2,25 million km. What is included in the electrolyte, of course, is not said. It is only known that these are salts, water, and the role of energy carriers is played by "specially designed molecules."

Today


The company is developing and does not stand still. The official website offers electromobiles with improved characteristics. For example, here is the EORV (QUANT-UP) SUV. The on-board voltage in the crossover is 48 volts, the range is 2200 km, the speed is up to 290 km/h. The car uses flow-through fuel cell technology and bi-ION electrolyte.

QUANT-UP accelerates to 100 km/h in 2,3 seconds. Photo: www.nanoflowcell.com

Today, the company's specialists have achieved a capacity of 600 Wh/liter. For comparison: modern lithium-ion batteries show up to 280 Wh/liter.

QUANT-UP interior design is the most modern. Photo: www.nanoflowcell.com

At the same time, nanoFlowcell claims that the electrolyte they have invented can be produced “anywhere in the world”: you just need to have the appropriate equipment.

Details of two other upgraded electric cars


The four-seater QUANTiNO 48VOLT coupe is designed for city driving with a range of 1000 km. The car is equipped with a three-phase electric motor of 108 hp and reaches speeds of up to 200 km/h. On-board voltage is 48 V. The electric car has a pair of fuel tanks of 72 liters each.

QUANTiNO 48VOLT accelerates to 100 km/h in 5 seconds. Photo: www.nanoflowcell.com

The fuel cell provides a current of up to 300 amperes with a capacity of only 85 kWh. The transmission is automatic, the drive is on the rear wheels. "Quantino" weighs 685 kg in the equipped state, its length, width, height are 3,91, 1,93 and 1,335 m respectively.

QUANT 48VOLT


A sports car that accelerates to 100 km/h in 2,4 seconds. Its difference from the previous model is its greater power (760 hp) and the capacity of a pair of tanks – 200 liters each.

The QUANT 48VOLT sports electric car presented on the website. Photo: www.nanoflowcell.com

The power reserve is the same, 1000 km. The dimensions and weight are different. Length, width, height - 5,13, 2,24 and 1,34 m, weight in the equipped state - 1,82 tons.

QUANT eVTOL


This is the next vehicle shown on the developer's website. The characteristics of the prototype are also impressive: on one "filling" the device, which can accommodate a pilot with seven passengers, is capable of flying over 3 thousand km.

QUANT eVTOL can be used as a city taxi. Photo: www.nanoflowcell.com

The ceiling is up to 8 m. The vertical takeoff and landing machine is designed from composite materials (only adhesive joints) and weighs 300 kg when empty. However, the total volume of the tanks (there are two) is 980 l.

The CEO and executive directors of the company are Nunzio La Vecchia and Hektor Bertschi. Both are pilots with 35 and 49 years of experience.

The aircraft is equipped with four main electric motors of 288 kW each and one pusher. The total power of the power plant is 2167 hp. The manufacturer claims that the propellers used are of their own design, which produce 90% less noise than conventional propellers. The length of the entire apparatus is 9,2 m, the width is 10 m. A safety system is provided, including a triple parachute.

Conclusions


The company's developments certainly deserve attention. However, there is no information today about the widespread use of replaceable electrolyte technology. The price, even an estimated one, is not indicated on the official website. But since the web resource is working, we can assume that the company's business is still moving forward.
What do you think about nanoFlowcell technology?
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