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nanoFlowcell

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nanoFlowcell Holdings plc
Company typePrivate
Industry
Founded1996[1]
FounderNunzio La Vecchia
Headquarters
Kilchberg
,
Switzerland
Key people
  • Nunzio La Vecchia (CEO)
  • Hektor Bertschi (COO)
Products
ServicesResearch and development
ParentnanoFlowcell Holdings plc
SubsidiariesnanoFlowcell Management AG
Websitenanoflowcell.com

nanoFlowcell Holdings plc is a Swiss flow cell battery research and development company.

nanoFlowcell claims to have developed the first flow battery small enough to be used in electric cars. Its battery, also branded nanoFlowcell, was first presented in the Quant E,[2] Quant F[3] and Quantino prototype vehicles.[4] Similar to regular redox flow batteries, the nanoFlowcell battery uses electrolyte fluids to generate electricity from chemical compounds. nanoFlowcell uses, unlike the electrolytes in vanadium flow batteries or polysulfide bromide flow batteries, proprietary molecules as charge carriers; the electrolyte used in the nanoFlowcell is non-toxic and environmentally compatible.[5] The electrolyte used in the nanoFlowcell battery has an energy density of 600 Wh per litre, which is ten times the energy density of regular redox flow cells.[6] nanoFlowcell states that mass production cost for its "non-flammable and non-explosive" electrolyte is below 10 cents per litre.[7]

The feasibility of nanoFlowcell's flow cell technologies has been questioned.[8][9][10][11][12]

nanoFlowcell has registered offices in Kilchberg, Switzerland [13] and London, United Kingdom.[14] The company became a public limited company in 2021.[15]

QUANT Prototypes

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QUANT FE premiere at the 2016 Geneva International Motor Show
Quantino at the 2019 Top Marques Monaco

Under the name QUANT (derived from quantum mechanics), nanoFlowcell Holdings developed applications for its nanoFlowcell flow cell technology, mainly electric vehicles such as the QUANT E, QUANT FE and Quantino. The Quantino is the latest electric prototype vehicle produced by nanoFlowcell engineers for their battery testing purposes. The road-legal version of the Quantino was first introduced at the Geneva International Motor Show in 2016, together with its more powerful sibling QUANT FE.[16][17] The QUANT name and design itself was previously used in the Koenigsegg Quant solar electric concept car, in which La Vecchia's previous venture, NLV Solar, was involved.[18][12]

The Quantino and QUANT FE prototype vehicles have been used for technology presentations towards the automobile industry in 2016 to further demonstrate the use and advantages of flow cell technology in electric cars. Several journalists who drove Quantino and QUANT FE in public testings confirmed functionality of the nanoFlowcell's flow cell technology.[19][11][20] nanoFlowcell claimed that the Quantino consumed 12 kWh per 100 km in a mixed test.[21]

bi-ION Electrolyte

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Similar to regular modern redox flow cells, nanoFlowcell produces electricity from liquids. nanoFlowcell insists that the electrolyte solution is not common salt water as commonly stated in several internet forums and automotive press, claiming that the electrolyte solution they named bi-ION consist of a conductive liquid - organic and inorganic salts dissolved in water - and the electrolytes themselves, nano-structured molecules which are specific molecules designed by the company. While dissolved redox salts are responsible for the energy transfer in conventional redox flow batteries, the bi-ION electrolyte is stated to be an energy storage medium whose suspended nano-particles would have allowed a considerably higher energy density than regular redox electrolyte liquids.[22]

Controversy

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European R&D institutes cast doubts over nanoFlowcell's technological progress with flow cells, while in the United States several R&D institutes announced their breakthrough with similar flow cell designs for electric vehicles.[23][24] In a report, Top Gear stated that while American universities find nanoFlowcell's technology plausible, there are European institutions that are not convinced.[11]

The Quant 48Volt delivers 560 kW at 48 V, with 140 kW going to each motor.[25] This means the current going to each motor is equal to 2917 Amps which would heat up the cables dramatically. Porsche, by comparison, saved 66 pounds on the Taycan by going from 400 V to 800 V and is able to keep the motors cooler by going to higher voltages with greatly reduced currents.[26]

According to a Jalopnik article, Dr. Stephen Granade points out that, at the time of writing, the energy density of the flow batteries would be 5 times that of Tesla's batteries with technology where the energy density is typically far lower.[12]

In another controversy, the founder has previously been accused with defrauding an older lady by having her invest in non-existing solar panel technology, although he was acquitted.[27][28][29]

See also

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References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to NanoFLOWCELL Quant e-Sportlimousine.
  1. ^ Sincan, Alexandru (2021-03-07). "Mindblowing Approach to Electromobility: Is nanoFlowcell Overtaking the Future?". autoevolution. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
  2. ^ "World Premiere of the new QUANT e-Sportlimousine". www.youtube.com. 5 March 2014.
  3. ^ "This is a 1075bhp, 186mph electric car". Top Gear. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  4. ^ "nanoFlowcell Quantino Electric Sportscar". Gt spirit. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  5. ^ "» nanoFlowcellPremier Autos Magazine". premierautosmagazine.com. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  6. ^ "BI-ION - ENERGY CARRIER FOR THE ELECTRICITY OF TOMORROW". nanoflowcell.com. nanoFlowcell Holdings Ltd. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  7. ^ "NanoFlowcell Want To Revolutionize The EV Market With The Quant 48Volt". carbuzz.com. CarBuzz Inc. 5 February 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  8. ^ Clemens Gleich (2015-03-11). "Fantastische Literatur aus Genf: der Quant-Supersportler". Heise Autos. Retrieved 2015-03-17.
  9. ^ "Nanoflowcell Quantino: Elektrolyt-Stromer für Jedermann?". ecomento.de (in German). 2015-02-19. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
  10. ^ "4 Euro für 100 Kilometer: Revolutioniert der Flüssig-Akku das Elektroauto?". FOCUS Online (in German). Retrieved 2019-03-25.
  11. ^ a b c "Review: the nanoFlowcell-powered Quantino prototype". Top Gear. 2016-10-07. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
  12. ^ a b c "The Supercar That Runs Using 'Saltwater' Is Likely Bullshit". Jalopnik. 22 September 2014.
  13. ^ "nanoFlowcell IP AG". moneyhouse.ch. Moneyhouse AG. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  14. ^ "nanoFlowcell Holdings Ltd". Companies House. Registrar of Companies (England and Wales). Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  15. ^ GOV.UK (17 Aug 2021). "NANOFLOWCELL HOLDINGS PLC Company number 10021928". Companies House.
  16. ^ "Geneva 2016: Nanoflowcell Quantino". gtspirit.com. GTspirit Limited. 2 March 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  17. ^ "Quantino and Quant FE as near-production models". plugin-magazine.com. AM Ljubljana. 2 March 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  18. ^ Abuelsamid, Sam. "Geneva 2009: NLV Quant by Koenigsegg". Autoblog. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  19. ^ "Revolutionary Flowcell EV could make production". autocar.co.uk. Haymarket Media Group. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  20. ^ "Emissionsfreie Reichweite zum Nachtanken". auto-motor-und-sport.de. auto motor und sport. 7 October 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  21. ^ "1,167-Kilometre test drive in the Quantino". Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  22. ^ Els, Peter (2021-09-01). "This 48-Volt Quant Gets 600 Miles On A Tank Of "Salt Water"". HotCars. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
  23. ^ "Instantly rechargeable' battery could change the future of electric and hybrid automobiles". Purdue University Research Park News. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  24. ^ "Nanoelectrofuel Flow Battery for Electric Vehicles". Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  25. ^ "nanoFlowcell's newest concept takes electric mobility to a safer and more efficient level?". Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  26. ^ "Porsche Taycan's 800-Volt Architecture Enables Slimmer Wiring, Faster Charging, Less Heat". Car and Driver. 6 September 2018.
  27. ^ "The wrong physicist and his solar wonder car". Blick.ch. 30 September 2018.
  28. ^ "The dream manufacturer". Beobachter. 3 January 2016.
  29. ^ "The miraculous solar researcher from Zurich". Tages-Anzeiger. 2 August 2008.
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