The agreement will see Rolls-Royce combine its material science and technical expertise with Superdielectrics’ novel hydrophilic polymers that have been shown by the company, in partnership with researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Surrey, to have potentially outstanding energy storage properties.
Dr. Dave Smith, Director of Central Technology, Rolls-Royce, said, “We believe that electrification will play an increasingly important role in many of our markets over the coming years and by working with partners on potential new technologies for energy storage we can ensure that Rolls-Royce is well positioned to take advantage of new developments.”
Working with researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Surrey, Superdielectrics has been developing hydrophilic materials, similar to those originally designed for soft contact lenses, to increase the electricity storage capabilities of capacitors, which store electricity by creating electrostatic fields.
The University of Bristol estimates that these newly discovered materials have dielectric property values which are 1,000-10,000 times greater than conventional electrolyte solutions. This breakthrough offers the prospect of a new energy storage technology that is superior to existing battery technology.
Superdielectrics won an award for the technology earlier this month at CleanEquity® Monaco 2018 for Excellence in the Field of Environmental Technology Research.
The exact terms of the agreement between Rolls-Royce and Superdielectrics remain confidential.
