Ilika Plc (LON:IKA), a pioneer in solid-state battery technology and materials innovation, announced today a partnership to deploy Stereax solid state battery powered devices for the condition monitoring of wind turbines with Titan Wind Energy, the largest manufacturer of wind turbine products in China.
The deployment will be part of a two-year collaborative project with the Chinese wind turbine manufacturer Titan Wind Energy, with expert support from Chester University and Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA). The £1.0 million development project is supported by Innovate UK funding of £0.4 million. The Chinese partners will receive similar funding from Jiangsu Province.
Wind energy is one of the leading renewable sources to replace fossil fuels. China and the UK together contribute ca. 40% of the world’s 500 GW wind power capacity. However, the ever-increasing operation and maintenance costs have become a critical constraint for the sustainability of wind energy growth. The primary objective of this project is to develop an integrated smart sensor powered by a combined vibration harvester and a StereaxÒ battery, to be incorporated into the composite structure of wind turbine blades. The smart composite will be able to perform autonomous structural condition monitoring of the blades, to detect the early signs of damage and enable predictability in maintenance scheduling and prevent the icing of the blades. This will ensure operational efficiency, whilst also self-sustaining the power supply of these functionalities without the need for battery replacement.
Business Development In China
In addition, the Company has appointed Lou Ming, as business development officer with responsibility for driving future collaborations and commercial partnerships in China.
Mr. Ji Jun, President of Titan Wind, stated; “We are very excited about the opportunity of using Ilika’s Stereax solid state battery technology in the globally significant market of wind turbine blade condition monitoring.”
Commenting on this grant award, Graeme Purdy, Ilika Plc CEO, said; “This partnership is expected to bring about a step change reduction in the operating costs of wind turbines, which is of paramount importance in sustaining the economic viability of wind energy. In China, growth of industrial applications for Internet of Things (IoT) solutions such as this one is outstripping consumer IoT. We are delighted to be working with our esteemed Chinese collaborators and look forward to a long and rewarding partnership.”
