A battery management system that increases the performance of electric and hybrid-powered vehicles has got through to the final round of the Shell Springboard Awards, which award funding to low carbon innovation projects.
Exeter’s
Ashwoods Automotive won £30,000 for its
Battery Management System, designed to increase the lifespan of batteries in hybrid and electric vehicles, in one of the regional heats of the
Shell Springboard competitive funding programme. Ashwoods was one of six
small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that received a total of £200,000 for products designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the latest round of the Shell Springboard awards, which have been running since 2005. The company will go on to compete to be overall winner on February 22.
Regional winners
Other regional winners included Cambridge Carbon Capture for its electrochemical mineral carbonation process; Chester-based VPhase for its product designed to regulate household energy consumption; Innova, from Northumberland, for its tilting wind turbine; Nottingham-based Fibre Technology Ltd for its technology, which slows the burn rate of coal on a fire grate; and Petroc Technologies, based in Edinburgh, which has developed a
technology that prevents leakages from underground reservoirs used in Carbon Capture and Storage.
Battery system
When driven regularly, batteries in hybrid and electric cars wear down and need to be replaced a few times over the course of the car’s life. The battery management system Ashwoods Automotive has developed monitors the energy in each cell in the battery pack so that it will last longer and the car will run more efficiently.
"Electric and hybrid vehicles are increasingly popular for large commercial fleets due to their potential to drastically cut
carbon emissions," said Marc Roberts of Ashwoods Automotive. "However, the industry faces a challenge to maintain the condition of battery packs, the central component for all electric vehicles."
Carbon capture
Cambridge Carbon Capture received £40,000 to help developed its carbonation process that generates electric power while capturing the CO2 as a solid, which the company says avoids issues of
transport and long terms storage of liquefied CO2.
"Furthermore, the integration of power generation and capture steps, along with the conversion of low value materials to higher value products, greatly improves the process economics versus other carbon capture technologies," said Dr Robin Francis of Cambridge Carbon Capture.
Voltage optimisation
VPhase’s voltage optimisation
design is designed to regulate and thus lower home voltage use by about 25 volts. A voltage decrease of that much can save homeowners six to 12 per cent on their electricity bills. Not only does it lower the cost of energy bills, but it can also extend the life of electric appliances, saving the user even more money.
"We believe Voltage Optimisation can make a difference in the fight against climate change and it’s incredibly rewarding that a well-established programme like Shell Springboard has also recognised its potential," said VPhase ceo Rick Smith.
Shell Springboard
Since launching Shell Springboard has given out over £1.6 million to 43 SMEs in the UK. Over 900 applications have been submitted for funding since the programme began. After businesses submit their applications, up to six awards ranging in value of £20,000 to £40,000 are given out at three separate events in the UK.
Like this story? Please subscribe to our free weekly e-newsletter at the top of the page for more stories like this.
Related content:
Green innovation
Green SMEs
Green R&D
