Higher-storage batteries and purer biogas projects get funding
Thu Sep 01 2016 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Higher-storage batteries and purer biogas projects get funding
01 September 2016
Self-healing silicon to increase the storage capacity of batteries and a new polymer material to turn crude biogas to pure biomethane are two projects from the University of Auckland to receive funding from the Science for Technological Innovation (SfTI) National Science Challenge.
With the development of electric vehicles and new forms of renewable energy, demand for a higher-storage battery has never been higher. But traditional graphite electrodes on batteries limit capacity.
Faculty of Engineering Chemical & Materials Associate Professor Peng Cao receives $255,000+GST over three years in funding to boost battery charge using new silicon electrodes that could increase battery storage by a factor of 10.
“Battery capacity is one of the world’s big technological challenges and we are delighted to receive this funding to pursue new ideas that we hope will yield real solutions,” Dr Peng says.
Biogas is a valuable and renewable biofuel produced from the breakdown of organic waste such as manure and municipal waste. Globally, the organic biogas market is worth over US$19.5 billion and is forecast to exceed US$32 billion by 2023.
School of Chemical Sciences senior lecturer Jianyong Jin from the Faculty of Science and his research team receive funding of $195,000+GST over three years to develop a higher performance, more energy efficient gas separation membrane for gold standard biomethane production for both the domestic and export market. The core technology is based on their recent breakthrough “golden” polymers that are more permeable and efficiently filter out CO2 from biogas.
The Science for Technological Innovation (SfTI) is one of 11 National Science Challenges. SfTI director and Professor of Engineering at the University of Auckland, Margaret Hyland, says seed funding is an important part of the SfTI’s approach.
“We want to make sure we are regularly injecting new ideas involving fundamental engineering and science that are not only challenging but also promise to underpin the development of a high-tech economy.
“Not all will succeed but those that do are likely to influence the direction of the Challenge, and could potentially play a role in supporting New Zealand’s future economy,” she says.
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