Towards printed energy storage devices – Award Winning Prototype

On the 19th to the 21st of March 2018 was the LOPEC (International Exhibition and Conference for the Printed Electronics Industry) conference held in Munich, Germany. Conceptualized.Tech assisted one exhibitor (RISE Acreo) with an animation to accompany their new technology prototype, a printed, flexible and foldable energy storage device based on forest derived materials and organic semiconductors. The presented supercapacitor is approximately 30 square centimetres and can be charged with a simple crank generator (or printed solar cell) which can then be discharged and power a small fan. Due to their innovative design, the researchers at RISE Acreo won the freestyle category for best functioning prototype at the conference.

The new prototype was manufactured at the printed electronics area in Norrköping, Sweden using mainly screen-printing technology and only has one metal component (Aluminium electrodes) with the remaining layers composed of organic materials. The end goal is to have a completely printed supercapacitor device that can be mass produced to help provide a solution to society’s growing energy demands. Roll to roll printing of organic based supercapacitors may lower costs and avoid issues with current energy storage materials such as toxic materials and poor recyclability.

Here’s what Dr Jesper Edberg, project leader for the award winning developed prototype, had to say:

‘The prototypes developed at the printed electronics area present the possibilities of printed organic electronics. We envision fully printable organic energy storage devices in the near future which can be produced on a large scale to potentially provide an extra avenue for the increasing energy demand. The current devices possess geometry that allows supercapacitors to be connected in series, in parallel or as one complete supercapacitor for potential in many applications.’

Check out our animation here: https://youtu.be/EJa_yk_cfJs