Earlier this month, Nanyang Technological
University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) signed
an agreement to collaborate with one of China’s leading battery
manufacturers Guoxuan High-Tech Co., Ltd. (Guoxuan) to develop innovative
energy storage technologies for electric vehicles.
NTU
President Professor Subra Suresh said, “NTU’s
collaboration with Guoxuan will push the boundaries and performance of
batteries, energy storage and green transportation technologies, which are at
the core of electric vehicles and renewable energy deployment.
“The innovations developed will be tested
on NTU’s Smart Campus, which is already a testbed of cutting-edge technologies
ranging from ultra-fast charging electric vehicles and self-driving vehicles,
to smart power grids. The development of these technologies will support
Singapore’s Smart Nation goals,” Professor Suresh added.
Building on their existing partnership, the
new agreement between NTU and Guoxuan seeks to develop new technologies to overcome
battery-related challenges. These include the limited charging cycles of
batteries and its integration with various renewable energy sources.
The new agreement is part of a S$10 million
partnership between NTU and Guoxuan in December 2017 to establish the Guoxuan-NTU Smart Energy Joint Laboratory.
On 8 June, the opening of the joint lab
today was officiated by Dr Amy
Khor, Senior Minister of State for the Environment & Water Resources.
“The joint partnership between Guoxuan and
NTU contributes to Singapore’s continuing investments in research, development
and demonstration (RD&D) to address our climate and sustainability
challenges, and to create solutions that can be exported globally, under our
Climate Action Plan. In this Year of Climate Action, I urge organisations to
commit to the Climate Action Pledge and to review ways to reduce their carbon
footprint in their business operations,” said Dr Khor.
The new Guoxuan-NTU Joint Laboratory is set
up on the NTU campus. Scientists and engineers from both organisations will
research on battery technologies, as well as energy storage for electric
vehicles and industrial applications. It will kickstart the joint research
projects. Scientists and engineers from both organisations will commence
research on battery technologies, as well as energy storage for electric
vehicles and industrial applications.
A key research focus of the Joint
Laboratory is to improve battery performance for electric vehicles under humid
tropical environments, similar to weather conditions in Singapore.
For example, the joint lab will develop a hybrid
thermal management system for lithium-ion battery packs, which would help
manage temperature fluctuations and improve battery efficiency and its life
cycle. This would enable electric vehicles to travel longer distances on a
single charge.
