FlashBattery

StoreDot is Charging Commercial Drones in just 5 Minutes

Posted on by Techtime

StoreDote from Tel Aviv announced an automated charging station fully-charging a commercial drone in five minutes. This ultra-fast charging (UFC) wireless station designed to charge drones using StoreDot FlashBattery technology. It overcomes two major barriers disturbing the drone industry: the need for a “man-in-the-loop” to replace battery packs between missions, and restrictions on where charging stations can be located.

Today, it takes between 60-90 minutes to charge a commercial drone, with full charge giving a flight time of approximately 30 minutes. As a result, drones spend far longer in the charging station that in operation. To overcome this problem, additional batteries must be purchased and swapped out between flights. This costly process also requires a ‘man-in-the-loop’ to replace the batteries, making drones operations less autonomous.

The need for a person to be involved in the charging process also limits the range of operation and demands locating charging stations at easily accessible locations. This means that drones currently have to spend much of their limited flight time travelling to and from the nearest charging point, greatly reducing their operational efficiency. It also restricts the use of drones in harsh or dangerous terrains – often where they could bring the greatest benefits.

Dr. Doron Myersdorf, CEO of StoreDot, said that by reducing battery charging time to just 5 minutes and eliminating the need for human intervention, fully-autonomous drone operation is finally being made a reality. “Drones will now be able to spend much more of their valuable flight time engaged in actual missions.”

StoreDot uses organic compounds synthesized in its labs, to produce its instant-charging battery – FlashBattery. The technology is based on novel materials replacing the active graphite with metalloids such as Silicon, combined with proprietary organic compounds that protect the active materials during fast charge. While LiBs are aimed at increasing battery capacity, StoreDot has taken a new approach and redesigned an entirely new Li-ion battery structure in order to tackle the need for frequent charging.

StoreDot enters Mass Production of its Super-fast Batteries

Posted on by Techtime

The Chinese EVE Energy Co. will start the mass production of the first generation of StoreDot’s FlashBattery technology for consumer electronics, enabling a full charge in only 5 minutes. With an initial focus on production for the Chinese market, EVE will also support the global roll out. This partnership will later extend to the production of StoreDot’s second generation FlashBattery technology designed for use by electric vehicles (EV).

StoreDot from Herzliya near Tel aviv has developed an instant-charging battery for smartphones, wearables, tablets, and laptops. It is called FlashBattery, and similar to known super capacitor technology, it charges faster than any other battery, but stores more power per second than any Li-Ion battery (LiB). While LiBs are aimed at increasing battery capacity, StoreDot has taken a new approach in tackling the growing need for frequent smartphone charging.

The Road to Joint Venture

StoreDot uses innovative organic compounds synthesized in its labs, to dramatically reduce charging time while supporting a full day of phone operation. The company says that unlike available rapid-charging solutions that are known to shorten battery-life, its FlashBattery architecture withstands sufficient charge/discharge cycles, thereby allowing fast charging without the need to replace the battery over the lifetime of your phone.

EVE is considered the largest designer and provider of primary lithium batteries within China. It is one of the top tier suppliers of EV and Electricity Storage System (ESS) batteries, with over 1,050 national registered patents. StoreDot and EVE have signed a Framework Agreement for long-term partnership. This cooperation includes the production and evaluation of StoreDot’s proprietary FlashBattery samples, production of StoreDot FlashBatteries at EVE’s manufacturing facility and an intention to build a joint manufacturing facility in China under a joint venture agreement.

This partnership will later extend to the production of StoreDot’s second generation FlashBattery technology designed for use by electric vehicles (EV).