The Electrochemical
Innovation Lab
- Fuel Cell Innovation Dr. Dan Brett
Electrochemical Innovation Lab
Department of Chemical Engineering
UK-Japan Energy Technology Innovation Showcase
Oct 2014
University College London (UCL)
Founded in 1826
Top 10 universities in the world
- 5th QS World League Tables
The first to admit students regardless
of class, race or religion
The first to admit women students on
equal terms with men
University College London (UCL)
- Alumni
Mahatma Ghandi
Pacifist and world leader
Alexander Graham Bell
Inventor of telephone
Sir William Ramsay
Discovery of Noble Gasses
At UCL, He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe
Shoei Kataoka
Former Head of Research
Sharp Corporation
Coldplay
Hidetsugu Yagi
studied under Fleming
invented the Yagi antenna
David Gower
Former undergraduate
Christine Ohuruogu
Olympic medallist 2008 400m
Ricky Gervais
Comedian
University College London (UCL)
- Links with Japan
150th Anniversary of Japan’s Choshu Five
• Hirobumi Ito, the father of the Japanese
Constitution and the first Prime Minister of
post Meiji-Japan.
• Kaoru Inoue became Japan’s Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs
• Kinsuke Endo was the founding Master of the
Japanese Mint Bureau
• Masaru Inoue became the founding President
of the Japanese Board of Railways
• Yozo Yamao became Secretary of State in
Japan’s Ministry of Industry and established
Japan’s first Institute of Technology
Overview
• What is electrochemical technology?
• The Electrochemical Innovation Lab (EIL) concept.
• An example of EIL open innovation
– Amalyst Ltd. spin-out
• The Flexi-Planar Fuel Cell
What is Electrochemical Technology?
Electrochemistry: n. The science of the
interaction or interconversion of electric and
chemical phenomena.
What is Electrochemical Technology?
Modern
Established
Innovative
Technology
Technology
• Fuel
cells process
Chlor-alkali
• Advanced
Aluminium batteries
electrolysis
• Anodising
Solar cells
• Supercapacitors
Electroetching / deposition
• Electrolysers
(hydrogen production)
Corrosion prevention
• Advanced
sensors
Wastewater
treatment
• CO
Waste
electronics treatment
2 conversion
• Nuclear
reprocessing
Electrosynthesis
The Electrochemical Innovation Lab
- Concept
Technology Readiness Level (TRL)
1
2
Fundamental
Electrochemistry
• Electrodes
• Interfaces
• Electrolytes
3
Lab R&D
4
5
Electrochemical
Technology
6
7
Pilot plant
trials
• Potential distribution • Reactor geometry
• Current distribution • Reactor components
• Hydrodynamics
• Reactor performance
• Mass transport
8
9
Industrial
Electrochemical
Engineering
• Testing
• Fabrication
• Marketing
•Process design
•Commissioning
•Maintenance
The Electrochemical Innovation Lab
- Concept
Technology Readiness Level
1
2
Fundamental
Electrochemistry
• Electrodes
• Interfaces
• Electrolytes
3
Lab R&D
4
5
Electrochemical
Technology
6
7
Pilot plant
trials
• Potential distribution • Reactor geometry
• Current distribution • Reactor components
• Hydrodynamics
• Reactor performance
• Mass transport
8
9
Industrial
Electrochemical
Engineering
• Testing
• Fabrication
• Marketing
•Process design
•Commissioning
•Maintenance
The Electrochemical Innovation Lab
- Concept
• Industrial experience / input.
• Commercial thinking embodied in
Most
university
research
phaseresearch is here…
…and never goes any higher.
• Cost and market modelling.
• Scale-up and scale-out consideration.
• Reality checks.
• Builds new research programmes to accelerate the
science into commercial products
Technology Readiness Level
1
2
Fundamental
Electrochemistry
3
Lab R&D
4
5
Electrochemical
Technology
6
7
Pilot plant
trials
8
9
Industrial
Electrochemical
Engineering
The Electrochemical Innovation Lab
- People (Management Team and IAG)
Tim Fishlock
(UCLB)
Dan Brett
(UCL Chem. Eng.)
Jawwad Darr
(UCL Chemistry)
Paul Shearing
(UCL Chem. Eng.)
MANAGEMENT
TEAM
David Hodgson
(Vallontia)
Richard Bucknall
(UCL Mech. Eng.)
Nick Milligan
(pV3)
Stef Simons
(UCL Australia)
Chris Gibbs
(UCL Chem. Eng. and Amalyst)
The Electrochemical Innovation Lab
- Partners and Sponsors
Facilities
The Electrochemical Innovation Lab
- World class facilities
• Excellent facilities:
over £11million of
current funding
• "Zeiss-UCL
Lighthouse Centre
on Correlative
Microscopy" best
university-based
suite of ion beam
and high res X-ray
microscopes in the
world
The Electrochemical Innovation Lab
• Spent nuclear fuel processing
• High temperature sensors for crude oil
characterisation
• Novel battery materials
• Methods for making nanomaterials
• Fuel cells made from printed circuit boards
• Novel Pt-free electrocatalyst
Down stream
- Commercial Pipeline
The Electrochemical Innovation Lab
- Open Innovation Example
Background IP
Kit / Expertise
Facilities
Expertise
Manpower
Commercial
Expertise / Network
• Complimentary expertise, needs and offerings
The Electrochemical Innovation Lab
- Open Innovation Example
Background IP
Kit / Expertise
Facilities
Expertise
Manpower
‘Spin in’
Commercial
Expertise / Network
• Coming together
The Electrochemical Innovation Lab
- Open Innovation Example
Background IP
Kit / Expertise
Facilities
Expertise
Manpower
• A low-cost, high
efficiency catalyst with
equivalent performance
to Pt
- Fuel cells
Background IP
Strengthened
- Electrolysers
(hydrogen production)
Foreground IP
‘Spin in’
Generated
Commercial
Expertise / Network
• Strengthening and generating IP
The Electrochemical Innovation Lab
- Open Innovation Example
Background IP
Kit / Expertise
Facilities
Expertise
Manpower
Background IP
Strengthened
‘Spin in’
Commercial
Expertise / Network
• Spin out
NewCo
HoT Signed
Foreground IP
PoC
Generated
Funding
The Electrochemical Innovation Lab
- Open Innovation Example
Background IP
Kit / Expertise
Facilities
Expertise
Manpower
Ready for new
collaboration / pipeline
Background IP
Strengthened
‘Spin in’
NewCo
HoT Signed
Foreground IP
PoC
Generated
Funding
NewCo
Formed
1st Round
Investment
Licence
in
Commercial
Expertise / Network
Investor/s
• Investment and customers
Here
Second
Round
The Electrochemical Innovation Lab
- Amalyst Summary
1. Lower cost than Pt at same performance levels in
water electrolysers and fuel cells.
2. A true ‘drop-in’ replacement for Pt.
3. Available for evaluation and sale.
4. Second investment round currently open.
www.amalyst.com/
Fuel Cells
- Features and architecture
Current
• Main features
ee- High efficiency Collector
- Low or no emissions
Anode
- Quiet, no moving parts, potentially highly reliable
- Scalable – applications
Cathode from mW to MW
e-
e-
Fuel Cells
- Features and architecture
Interconnect
Anode
Electrode
Cathode
Interconnect
The Flexi-Planar Fuel Cell
• Conventional fuel cell stacks have a
problem.
• If one cell fails, the whole stack fails.
Interconnect
Anode
Electrode
Cathode
Interconnect
Anode
Electrode
Cathode
Interconnect
Interconnect
Anode
Electrode
Cathode
Interconnect
Anode
Electrode
Cathode
Interconnect
Anode
Electrode
Cathode
Interconnect
• Existing stacks must be made from high-spec cells
(expensive).
The Flexi-Planar Fuel Cell
• A new fuel cell technology (with Imperial College, Carbon
Trust)
• Puts a fuel cell inside a printed circuit board (PCB)
• Low cost, high capacity manufacture
- Consumer electronics
- Micro-CHP
- Automotive
The Flexi-Planar Fuel Cell
• 3 patent applications (1 granted)
• <$36 / kW cost reduction (independently verified)
• Continuous operation for over 2000 hrs hours with no
significant degradation
The Flexi-Planar Fuel Cell
The Flexi-Planar Fuel Cell
• 15 W modules
• Modules combined
together to form
stacks
• Consumer electronics
• Micro-CHP
• Automotive
Process employs existing Printed
Circuit Board (PCB) manufacturing
The Flexi-Planar Fuel Cell
- Summary of benefits
Flexi-Planar fuel cell
• Mass-manufacture.
• Simplified stack
- Compression and sealing
Conventional fuel cell
• Low-cost components
• Patented, low-cost
copper passivation
layer.
• High gravimetric power
density (3 kW/litre)
• Control flexibility of
modules with integrated
electronics
The Flexi-Planar Fuel Cell
- Summary
• Simplified system BoP
(humidification & heat
transfer)
• Internal humidification
• Flexible design for
integration into multiple
applications
• Currently looking for
investment / joint venture
for company formation
Overall Summary
• The UCL Electrochemical Innovation Lab (EIL)
is a new model for university-based open
innovation
• Very well equipped for scientific projects
• Particular focus on commercialising our
research
• Example projects in the area of fuel cells
focusing on cost reduction
- Amalyst (low cost catalyst)
- Flexi-Planar Fuel Cell (low cost stack design)
• Opportunities for investment and joint ventures
ご清聴ありがとうございました
www.ucl.ac.uk/ucell
ucl eil
www.ucl.ac.uk/eil
UCL EIL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_vI3HDWOVQ