Skeleton and KIT Partner to Develop a SuperBattery that Charges in 15 Seconds

Skeleton Technologies is a global provider of ultracapacitor energy storage. Since 2009, the company has been trail-blazing patented “curved graphene”-based SkelCap ultracapacitors. 

These capacitors are proving to be game-changers in the energy storage industry. Skeleton enables companies to save energy whether they hold their business in the automotive electrical grid, industrial, or transportation industries. 

The company recently partnered with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), a research university specializing in a range of disciplines including natural sciences, economics, engineering sciences, humanities, and social sciences. KIT is well known for its involvement in the development of energy storage technologies. The duo is coming together to develop a graphene-based SuperBatttery that charges within 15 seconds. 

Co-Founder and CEO of Skelton, Taavi Madiberk with SkelCap industrial ultracapacitor cells. Image courtesy of Skeleton Technologies  

 

What is Curved Graphene?

Graphene is an allotrope or another form of carbon, just as diamond, graphite, and fullerene are. Graphene is derived from graphite and consists of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice. 

Other non-graphene based super or ultracapacitors on the market have been and are limited by lower energy densities compared to batteries. Skeleton’s ultracapacitors use patented curved graphene which is useful for resisting stacking during packing into an electrode structure. 

The structure enables higher power density (four times higher than competitors), and lower equivalent series resistance (ESR), which means longer lifetime durability in Skeleton’s ultracapacitors. 

 

A SuperBatery Solution

The curved graphene material used in Skeleton’s ultracapacitors will be applied to the SuperBattery. The company’s expertise in cutting-edge ultracapacitor technology coupled with KIT’s background in research and development will be an effective primer for the creation of next-generation energy storage technologies like the SuperBattery. 

The new SuperBattery is set to be a winning solution for certain problems facing electric vehicles (EVs): battery degradation, range anxiety, and slow charging times.

In a recent news release CEO of Skeleton, Mr.Taavi Madiberk provided his view on the partnership with KIT: “Cooperation between European energy storage companies is key for the EU to be a global leader in energy storage. We are delighted to have signed the SuperBattery development deal with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and combine forces to bring to market a technology that will blow existing EV charging solutions out of the water.”

 

Skeleton technologies incorporate curved graphene for greater power and efficiency. Image courtesy of Skeleton Technologies  

 

”We see Skeleton as a perfect match which fits for our purpose. Skeleton is both flexible and big enough to develop a new process, transfer our knowledge into a product and bring it to the market,” said Maximilian Fichtner, Research Unit Leader at the KIT in the same news release. 

Fichtner also said that “the SuperBattery is a game changer for the automotive industry. Together with Li-ion batteries, they have it all: high energy and power density, long lifetime, and 15-second charging time”.