- Forest-powered supercapacitors could replace batteries in IoT devices and sensors
- Swedish startup uses forest-derived lignin polymer to replace toxic metals
- S-Power offers fast charging, long life of 8-10 years and other savings
Swedish startup Ligna Energy hopes its new S-Power technology can solve unsustainable demand for batteries as demand for indoor environmental sensors, wearable devices and other IoT endpoints increases.
The company says a growing number of these devices don’t require built-in energy storage because they consume little power and can operate intermittently. Those that can harvest environmental energy, such as light, RF signals, vibrations and temperature differences, could be among the most suited to this futuristic technology.
Ligna’s flagship product, the S-Power 2S, offers 1.2F capacitance, 2.7V operating voltage, 0.5Ω equivalent series resistance and over 250,000 charge cycles, but more importantly, this ultra-thin, pouch-sized cell is designed to fit even the smallest boards and sensors.
IoT devices, like environmental sensors, have driven up demand for batteries
According to the company, its latest S-Power technology is not only small enough to fit into places where conventional batteries would be too large, but it can also charge much faster and survive many more cycles.
Perfect for products that are expected to be deployed for years without maintenance, Ligna believes this technology could save companies considerable cash in the long term. Even if a sensor only costs a few dollars, sending a technician to physically change a battery can cost hundreds of dollars in logistics, even if the battery itself is relatively inexpensive.
With large-scale deployments across utility networks, factories, agricultural environments, smart cities and more, the savings could be enormous.
The main differences are in the way supercapacitors store energy compared to conventional batteries – electrostatically rather than chemically. This makes supercapacitors like the S-Power 2S more efficient for short periods of periodic power, resulting in much slower degradation and extremely long life.
Natural polymers enable extreme “battery” performance – will supercapacitors replace batteries?
Ligna’s technology is based on forest-derived materials – instead of metals like lithium, cobalt and nickel – which are considered more sustainable and less toxic to the environment. Lignin derived from trees and plants is the base material here, considered the second most abundant natural polymer on Earth after cellulose and responsible for how trees stand upright. It is also readily available as a byproduct of industries like papermaking.
“This is a conventional supercapacitor in terms of electrical performance, but we tried to optimize the material stack to remove some harmful materials and offer a different alternative to our customers,” explained Managing Director John Söderström.
At the same time, research into energy harvesting technologies could align with these next-generation supercapacitors to further reduce the frequency of charging or replacement.
By harvesting energy from indoor lighting, solar power, radio, vibration and heat exchange, the energy flowing through the supercapacitor could significantly improve its lifespan.
“When I started at Ligna five years ago, energy harvesting was not widely adopted in wireless electronics,” Söderström added. “What has happened since then is that lightweight harvesters have increased their efficiency to the point where batteries can be removed even in low light conditions.”
However, Ligna is calling for a major rearchitecture across the industry, noting that every component must be optimized for the lowest possible quiescent current. This likely means a new product category for the future, rather than supercapacitors that can be retrofitted into existing hardware.
The company is now targeting a lifespan of eight to ten years for its ultra-thin supercapacitors, on track for mass production, but not necessarily at the same price levels as “some Chinese competitors.”
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