There are many innovative battery designs in development around the world, but a Liechtenstein-based company has developed something truly unique – a flow battery, which uses two ionic fluids stored in tanks.
nanoFLOWCELL will present its new QUANT F electric vehicle at the upcoming Geneva Autosalon. The latest iteration of the QUANT features four electric motors and a 2-speed automatic transmission. It achieves a top speed of 300 km/hr, and a range of 800 km.
“The QUANT F is a complete re-design of its predecessor, the QUANT E,” said Chief Technical Officer Nunzio La Vecchia. “We are currently able to attain peak output of 801.69 kW for a limited duration and a maximum rated voltage of 735 V (previously 600 V). This represents a massive increase for an electric vehicle. We researchers are not interested in pumping up hp/kW figures, but rather in realizing what is technically feasible. For both technical and economic reasons, the rated voltage for normal operation of the QUANT F will stand at approximately 400 V in future. This enables efficient and economical driving and means correspondingly greater ranges accompanied by outstanding performance with zero harmful emissions.”
The nanoFlowcell continuously feeds 50 amperes of current into a buffer system, which is able to supply over 2,000 amperes when needed for full performance. “To our knowledge, no one has ever before put a system delivering over 2,000 amperes on the road in a passenger car. This is unique. We achieve this by combining our flow battery with the new buffer system,” says Nunzio La Vecchia. “Please consider that we are driving a 5.25-metre long sports saloon in all-electric mode over a range of 800 km. This is not a small car, but a large sports saloon for four people.”
“Instead of using hydrogen and oxygen as in a conventional fuel cell, we work with two ionic fluids – one with a positive charge and one with a negative charge,” explains La Vecchia. “With a total tank capacity of 500 liters, comprising two tanks accommodated separately in the QUANT’s substructure, we have achieved an increase in range of over 30 percent in comparison to the QUANT E from 2014. We are only in the initial phase of our development work. The fact that we store the energy for our drive in a fluid provides us with enormous advantages over systems employed to date in the field of electric mobility. We can use all the cavities in the vehicle to transport the ionic fluid. As the fluid is neither flammable nor toxic, we believe we are absolutely on the right track with this medium.”
Source: nanoFlowcell via Green Car Congress