Electrification and energy storage

• Battery technologies, materials and design
  • Marine
  • Metal-air
  • Recycling
• Wireless Power Transfer systems and design
• Transport
  • EV impact on grid
  • EV ferries
  • EV charging optimisation
• Network optimisation
  • Modelling
  • Smart grids
  • Distributed renewable energy
  • Network resilience
• Hydrogen storage
• Supercapacitors
• Small electronic devices that self-charge e.g. through natural vibrations

Wireless power

Wireless power, or Inductive Power Transfer (IPT) is used in small electronics, manufacturing, transport, and medical industries. This technology, developed within the University of Auckland, has become an enabler to many of the technologies used in our everyday lives.

The University was the first in the world to make wireless power transfer commercially useful and scalable to industry. The impact has been immense within industry, making factories safer and production cheaper. It has also enabled consumers to wirelessly charge electronics and we are currently working on wireless charging of electric vehicles which is set to have an enormous impact on our future and climate.

Improving energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness in green hydrogen production

Water electrolysis is the leading process for “green” hydrogen production using electricity generated from renewable sources. This hydrogen can then be applied as a form of green energy to replace fossil fuels. However, poor energy efficiency and degradation of water electrolysers over their operating lives remain major drawbacks for electrolytic hydrogen production.

In this research, we are addressing a key challenge in efficient water electrolysis in a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) water electrolyser under intermittent power supply conditions, by improving the electrode/catalyst surface dynamics. This research will crucially inform strategies extending the lifespan of electrolyser components and their capability for continuous operation. The medium-term objective is to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of electrolytic hydrogen production.

High-energy-density rechargeable seawater batteries for marine renewable energy storage

Efficient storage of marine renewable energy is essential for meeting the energy needs of the growing marine and aquaculture sectors. Currently, lead-acid batteries (LABs), and lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are used in these sectors, providing a power source to a wide range of underwater robots, sensors, and inspection systems, as well as offering micro-grid scale energy storage. These battery technologies have limitations due to their low energy density (LABs) — which limits the amount of time their charge lasts for — and non-recyclability (LIBs), making them less than ideal for marine renewable energy storage.

We will design and develop rechargeable seawater batteries, a new battery technology that uses seawater as an active battery component. Our approach will combine the advantages of metal-air batteries and magnesium-ion rechargeable battery technologies. Novel alloys will be fabricated and applied as battery electrode materials, and hybrid rechargeable seawater batteries will be constructed.

Self-adaptive vibration energy harvesting based on nonlinear energy sink

This project proposed a novel energy harvesting nonlinear energy sink (EHNES) system. By exploiting the features of Targeted Energy Transfer (TET) and energy localisation, the proposed system can passively adapt itself for efficient energy harvesting under impulsive and harmonic excitations.

We comprehensively investigated the interactive electrical and dynamic behaviours of the EHNES system when it is connected to different interface circuits. The findings from this project laid the foundation for the design, optimization and utilization of the EHNES systems as battery‐free and sustainable energy sources for powering small electronics.

The results of this research enable the design of self‐powered monitoring systems adaptive to different frequencies and excitations. By promoting the use of energy harvesting technology and eliminating chemical batteries, structural and environmental monitoring can be more sustainable and environmentally‐friendly.