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Dubai Future Solutions: Extreme Weather-Proof Batteries

DEADLINE Dec 30, 2022

Overview

Battery life can be a limiting factor in the functionality of many applications dependent on energy storage, one of those applications are drones. Extreme weather conditions such as hot and humid weather doesn’t make it any easier.

The main objective of this challenge is to design a drone battery that can withstand extreme temperatures and fly for a certain challenging range.

Why this challenge?

Lithium-ion batteries are popular power sources, but problematic in extreme heat or cold. Despite massively increasing electric vehicle and lithium battery powered device sales, we are still using battery technologies similar to the one discovered by Alessandro Volta about 220 years ago.

Our energy-storage strategies are currently shaped by lithium-ion batteries. However, battery companies are constantly experimenting to find chemistries that are cheaper, denser, lighter and more powerful. We should expect to see new generation lithium-ion, lithium sulfur, and solid-state batteries that can withstand more extreme weather conditions in the future.

In this challenge we are targeting to tackle both extremes of the batteries thermal limitation, hot and cold conditions. While heat exposure does temporarily increase battery capacity the damage that it does to the lifecycle can cause long term problems. When temperatures drop the internal resistance of the battery is increased. This means that it requires more effort by the battery to charge, in turn lowering the capacity. Tackling both ends of the weather extreme will help in improving the batteries’ performance in various locations and environments.

Main Technical Objectives of The Challenge

  • The drone battery challenge requires the participants to design and develop a prototype for a weather-proof battery technology that can operate under challenging flight environments, under cold temperatures or above certain hot temperatures within the range of -10°C to 60°C.
  • A detailed technical document will be shared with registered participants, which includes the specific technical specifications of the batteries, and the requirements to qualify to the final phase.
  • The drones targeted in this challenge should be able to serve several key applications such as delivery and transportation of goods, infrastructure, surveillance, etc.

Main Technical Specifications of The Testing Drones

  • The batteries shall be tested using Multi-Rotor drones that are powered by Lithium Batteries.
  • The size and technology of drones will be standardized, all participants should use the same drone model, or same motor specifications.

Timeline

Phase 1: Call for application submission – March 1st until December 31st 2022

Phase 2: Evaluation and selection of the proposals – January 1st, 2023 until February 1st 2023

Phase 3: Prototype development – February 1st, 2023 until December 31st, 2023

Phase 4: Testing at selected test center – January 1st, 2024 until June 1st, 2024

Phase 5: Evaluation of Tests and announcement of the winners July 1st, 2024

Grand Prize

1 Million US Dollars for the 1st Place Winner.

Who?

The entry is eligible to all candidates.

If you have any inquiries, email us at [email protected]

* Click here for Terms and Conditions, Competition Rules and Guidelines

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