PARTNERS’ DEVELOPMENTS LEGACY By bringing companies together to work on a common enterprise, Solar Impulse highlighted the beneficial impact of team-work in overcoming hurdles in order to find innovative solutions. Solar Impulse’s attempt to fly around the world powered only by solar energy set a goal many thought “impossible” and placed the bar very high. A family group of partners took up the challenge to invent new paradigms and find the answers to problems that until now had remained unsolvable. They combined their very diverse backgrounds and specialist talents to build bridges between various areas of expertise and push back the frontiers of technological knowledge. These inventive, energy-efficient solutions are emerging today from research centers to arrive in our daily lives. They are already used in electricity networks, house insulation, food conservation, and vehicles, as well as industrial processes.
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ENERGY STORAGE
Microgrid installations ABB SHARED EXPERIENCE WITH SOLAR IMPULSE
To be able to fly day and night, Solar Impulse relies on batteries that store the energy collected during the day and use it to power its engines during the night. The same requirement exists for introducing renewable energy into fossil-fuel based power-generation systems. Batteries are needed to even out the production profile i.e. to temporarily to store the excess electricity produced and discharge it to prevent power outages and damage to the network.
APPLICATION ON THE GROUND
Positive impact The integration of renewables with microgrid installations can replace between 40 and 240 GW of power capacity originally produced with diesel. In some cases, 400,000 litres of fuel can be spared annually, thereby avoiding 1,100 tons of CO2 emissions.
Microgrid installations are commercialised by ABB to upgrade existing dieselbased off-grid systems with renewable energies in remote communities that often rely solely on imported fuels (which are both expensive and polluting). These systems ensure a clean and stable electricity supply to populations.
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ENERGY STORAGE Special binder for batteries Solvay CHALLENGES OVERCOME WITH SOLAR IMPULSE
Positive impact
Electric cars
Important challenges had to be overcome to build a sufficient and reliable battery storage system for Solar Impulse – a system the plane could rely on for power during the night until the sun rises: maximization of the batteries’ lightness, energy density and durability.
SOLUTION DEVELOPED FOR SOLAR IMPULSE
The Solef PVDF binder developed by Solvay was used to offer optimal binding for Solar Impulse’s batteries’ electrodes. It helps to reduce their weight to a minimum while improving the chemical stability of their cells; i.e. it increases the number of charge and discharge cycles the battery can withstand and thereby increases its lifetime.
This binder could improve the range of a standard electric car by 10 km, and provided the other materials do not downgrade, could increase their batteries’ lifetime by 20%.
APPLICATION ON THE GROUND
Electric cars This technology can be applied to upgrade electric cars’ batteries. Grid storage systems It can also be applied for grid electricity storage.
Grid storage systems
The use of this special binder in batteries for grid electricity storage would allow stabilization of distribution networks in regions with a high intermittent PV power concentration.
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MOTORS’ EFFICIENCY
Additive to upgrade motors’ lubricant Solvay CHALLENGES OVERCOME WITH SOLAR IMPULSE
In order to make maximum use of the energy collected through the solar cells, the efficiency and durability of the solar airplane’s motors had to be optimized.
SOLUTION DEVELOPED WITH SOLAR IMPULSE
The Fomblin PFPE lubricant additive developed by Solvay enhances the anti-wear and anti-rust properties of lubricants used in Solar Impulse’s electric motors. This technology increases the lubricant’s operating life, thereby reducing the need for maintenance of rotors and stators in the plane’s engines.
Positive impact It can decrease mechanical losses by 50% in motors, triple a car’s engine fuel efficiency – decreasing by nearly 70% the annual fuel cost of driving a gasoline car.
APPLICATIONS ON THE GROUND
All engines This additive can be applied to upgrade the lubricants of any engine.
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MOTORS’ EFFICIENCY Smart sensors to increase motors’ efficiency ABB SHARED EXPERIENCE WITH SOLAR IMPULSE
Thanks to the sensors that collect information on the plane’s systems (speed, battery charge level, bank angle), Solar Impulse’s engineers can analyse hundreds of data before and during the flights to allow optimal functioning and ensure endurance through the nights. The same approach can be followed for optimizing the efficiency of industrial electric motors.
APPLICATION ON THE GROUND
The smart sensor technologies developed by ABB enable industrial motors to provide conditions and performance data that can be analysed to optimize their energy use and increase industrial efficiency, in other words boost productivity and reduce costs significantly.
Positive impact Electric motor energy efficiency could increase by 10% and it’s been worked out that if all industrial electric motors used such sensors to collect information, 616 billion kWh of electricity could be saved every year.
Machine room-less elevators with gearless motors SCHINLDER SHARED EXPERIENCE WITH SOLAR IMPULSE
In Solar Impulse, the electricity produced by the solar cells has to be used as efficiently as possible to drive electromagnets on the plane’s motors. These motors had to meet stringent requirements of lightness and efficiency to minimize losses. The same requirements apply for elevators’ motors.
APPLICATION ON THE GROUND
Positive impact This technology allows elevators to be 60% more energy efficient compared to hydraulic systems. Also, it needs fewer moving parts and is quieter, therefore increasing reliability and comfort.
The machine room-less elevators commercialised by Schindler carry high efficiency AC gearless permanent magnets motors to lift people to their destinations.
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SMART ENERGY USE
Regenerative drives for elevators Schindler SHARED EXPERIENCE WITH SOLAR IMPULSE
In Solar Impulse, every system was engineered to optimize energy use and pass it on when and where it is most needed, offering flexibility in case of emergency situations. For instance, if one motor fails, the power can be redistributed amongst the remaining engines so that the plane keeps in balance and remains in the air. The same mindset can be applied for sustainable transportation.
APPLICATION ON THE GROUND
Positive impact This technology reduces net power usage and utility bills (between 30 and 55% reduction in annual power costs). Additionally, because heat generation can be cut by up to 50%, less cooling is required in the elevator machine room.
The innovative Regenerative Drives technology developed by Schindler allows surplus energy to be sent back from the elevator to the building’s power grid allowing other building consumers to make use of this not needed energy.
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SMART ENERGY USE Two-speed and Auto Start/Stop technologies for escalators Schindler SHARED EXPERIENCE WITH SOLAR IMPULSE
During the night, the solar airplane adopts a descending profile to minimise its energy consumption by gliding. This way energy is saved at the relevant time and the plane can rely on batteries to make it through the night. This approach can be followed to save energy in escalators during off-peak hours.
APPLICATION ON THE GROUND
The variable-speed escalator technologies developed by Schindler have an auto start/stop mode and a two-speed control system that allow saving energy during off-peak hours by reducing the speed or stopping the elevator when no one is using it.
Positive impact In a typical office building, the auto start/stop technology enables an energy use reduction of up to 52%. In turn, the two-speed control system offers an average energy saving of 14%.
Destination-dispatch system for elevators Schindler SHARED EXPERIENCE WITH SOLAR IMPULSE
Before a flight, Solar Impulse engineers perform simulations to find the best - i.e. the most energy-efficient - route for the airplane to follow. That process can also be done for elevators to determine the most energy-efficient way of bringing people to the requested floor.
APPLICATION ON THE GROUND
Positive impact This technology can improve traffic flow, reduce wait time and the number of intermediate stops, to make the elevator run at the pinnacle of its performance.
The destination-dispatching system PORT (Personal Occupant Requirement Terminal) developed by Schindler can find the 1 in 7 trillion ride that is “right” for each user of building elevators.
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INNOVATIVE MATERIALS
Composites to reduce the structure weight Solvay CHALLENGES OVERCOME WITH SOLAR IMPULSE
Positive impact
Aerospace & automotive industries
The use of low weight unidirectional and fabric composites allows the flexibility to design and manufacture very lightweight components which is a key benefit to the Solar Impulse project.
SOLUTION DEVELOPED WITH SOLAR IMPULSE
The composite materials developed by Solvay, have been used to build the Solar Impulse structure. • A structural out of autoclave prepreg is used to manufacture the large wing spar honeycomb sandwich structure and other composite parts. • A low temperature out of autoclave tooling prepreg is used to manufacture the large composite mould tools needed to form the wing composite skins on Solar Impulse.
APPLICATION ON THE GROUND
These composites reduce the weight and increase the fuel efficiency without compromising structural strength or safety. Others
Composites are strong yet flexible, offer additional properties such as corrosion resistance or ballistic properties and enable the manufacture of complex parts for applications where lightweighting is a must.
Aerospace & automotive industries The aerospace industry is currently the biggest user of these composites, while the automotive industry is massively increasing its lightweighting efforts. Already used in Formula 1 and luxury cars, composites should find their way into other automotive segments in the near future. Others These composites are particularly suited to the marine and industrial markets (e.g. marine hulls, wind turbine blade and spars, train doors, bullet proof vest, sporting goods, etc) 8
INNOVATIVE MATERIALS Polyurethane foam insulation Covestro CHALLENGES OVERCOME WITH SOLAR IMPULSE
SOLUTION DEVELOPED FOR SOLAR IMPULSE
The polyurethane foam developed by Covestro has 40% smaller pores and offers a higher rigidity and structural strength while remaining lightweight.
APPLICATION ON THE GROUND
Positive impact
Insulation in the Solar Impulse cockpit and gondolas had to meet the challenges Home insulation of lightness, resistance and efficiency to protect the pilot and the plane’s This technology could save batteries from extreme conditions during flight, given the absence of a heating close to 20% on yearly energy system on board. bills compared to standard
Home insulation This material can be used in prefabricated panels to build affordable homes. Food storage It can also be applied for cheap food storage solutions in under-served markets.
insulation solutions. Food storage
This solution has a positive social and environmental impact in developing countries where food is scarce and food conservation is a major problem.
Polycarbonate window with glass-like appearance Covestro CHALLENGES OVERCOME WITH SOLAR IMPULSE
Positive impact
Car windows
The cockpit window of Solar Impulse had to be very light and resistant to extreme conditions while offering optimal transparency properties.
SOLUTION DEVELOPED FOR SOLAR IMPULSE
The Transparent polycarbonate sheeting developed by Covestro has mechanical properties superior to that of glass, a glass-like appearance, and improved safety functions such as anti-fogging properties thanks to a special coating.
APPLICATION ON THE GROUND
Car windows The automotive industry is seeking car windows that are lighter yet more resistant. Solar dryers The outstanding properties of this sheeting are being put to good use in solar dryers for the fruit and vegetable crops of smallholder farmers in South-East Asia.
The significantly reduced weight of windows could allow more batteries to be installed in electric cars. Solar dryers
This technology can help avoid food wastage and creates economic benefits for underserved communities.
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