Efficient materials and processes for high-energy supercapacitors for smart textiles and electromobility applications

Project Information

EMPHASIS

Grant agreement ID: 101091997

DOI

10.3030/101091997

Project closed

EC signature date 18 November 2022

Start date 1 January 2023

End date 31 December 2025

Funded under

• Digital, Industry and Space

Total cost

€ 5 427 117,50

EU contribution

€ 5 427 117,25

Coordinated by

PLEIONE ANONYMI ETAIRIA KAINOTOMONENERGEIAKON EFARMOGON
Greece

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EMPHASIS (Efficient materials and processes for high-energy supercapacitors for smart textiles and electromobility applications)

Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2024-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Main aim of project EMPHASIS is to work towards energy resilience through the development of novel and green materials and cost-effective and sustainable processes and in parallel to deliver to advanced energy device architectures. EMPHASIS is focusing on the development of new supercapacitors with high energy density and no loss of performance over time. The achievements of the developments of EMPHASIS aim to have a substantial impact on energy storage systems solutions for applications ranging from consumer goods to electrification of transport and reduction of emissions. In parallel, within EMPHASIS project, innovative energy management systems for supercapacitors will be developed to support efficient energy management for each application, especially for automotive and smart textile applications. This holistic approach of EMPHASIS project, from material to system level, aims to establish new industrial value chains with energy storage products that are tailored to meet the application requirements. The main research effort of EMPHASIS is focused on the following aspects:
-Development of laser-based process for direct synthesis and deposition of graphene-based materials onto current collectors for single-step in-situ electrode fabrication
-Production of high-specific-surface-area activated carbons from new bio-based precursor fibers and metal-free current collectors with 3D morphology
-Design and synthesis of novel, green ionic liquid electrolytes operating over a wide temperature range
-Development of advanced industrially relevant processes for efficient electrode filling, production upscaling and recovery/reuse of ionic liquid electrolytes
-Conduction of sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment studies of the materials, components and device fabrication processes, to explore their environmental viability
-Establishment of a continuous digitalized production process for SC electrodes

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the first 18 months of the project EMPHASIS, significant progress has been made in respect to the main objectives and the Key Performance Indicators that were envisaged at the start of the project. In general, the main material research that was focused on the delivery of innovative and more sustainable supercapacitor components has already delivered materials and technology with significantly improved performance. As aforementioned, EMPHASIS has a holistic approach on the development of new material technologies in every aspect of a supercapacitor.
The next 18 months the project will focus on the integration of these material technologies to supercapacitor cells and the manufacturing of the demonstrators for the two applications that the project has specified (electromobility & smart clothing). In more specific, EMPHASIS project during the first 18 months has achieved the following:
-Fabrication of flexible laser-processed graphene-based supercapacitor electrodes with increased areal capacitance (Areal capacitance: 18 mF/cm2)
-Development of optimized activated carbon & activated carbon fibers based sustainable precursor fibers (Specific Capacitance: 180 F/g, Surface area: 2429 m2/g, Pore size: 0.5 – 10 nm)
-Development of light weight carbon-based current collectors with increased electrical conductivity (Electrical conductivity: 105 S/m, Areal density: 20-25 g/m2)
-Development of ionic liquid-based electrolytes with increased ionic conductivity and wider potential window and operating temperature window (Ionic conductivity >20 mS/cm, Cut-off voltage up to 3.6V achieved, Temperature window: -50 oC to 100 oC, Energy Density measured: >20 Wh/kg in lab conditions)
-In silico prediction of the electrochemical stability window of electrolyte mixtures and room-temperature ionic liquids and development and testing of classical molecular dynamics methodologies for the study of electrolyte mixtures in conjunction with graphitic electrodes
-Definition of the application that include the supercapacitor requirements for both applications (SC cells of 200 F for electromobility applications and flexible SC cells for smart clothing)
-Development of the new measuring methods more suitable for supercapacitor cells

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

EMPHASIS proposes essential advances in SCs materials by addressing both energy density and environmentally friendly electrolytes to demonstrate SCs with fast market uptake. EMPHASIS activities are organized to substantially improve capacitance and cell voltage that influence energy density. EMPHASIS is implementing a R&D plan to: i. Explore how low-cost, green, biomass-derived materials can be converted to high-capacitance electrode materials using scalable processes. ii. Properly modify low-cost precursor materials and deposition processes, to add redox contribution to energy density iii. Design and synthesize novel, green IL-based electrolytes operating over wide temperature and voltage range iv. Advance industrially relevant processes for upscaling and recovery/reuse of IL electrolytes.
The project focuses on needs defined by the end users, suggesting solutions to specific problems. BORN produces smart clothing for applications related to medical and wellbeing sectors. EMPHASIS outcomes will enable them to tackle problems faced by their clients, related to the comfort of the apparel (flexible SC cells) charging speed and lifetime of the product. Stellantis (CRF) is interested to advance optimal on-board energy buffer design for FCHVs based on SCs, to increase the operation life of the EVs and minimize the cost of the energy storage and hydrogen consumption. The project targets also the development of a modular approach to the energy management of SC systems. The targeted solution will be optimized during the project for different design criteria. The weighting of the design criteria depends on the specific use case and will be elaborated the end users.

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