NSF Award
1152391
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project evaluates a low cost, high efficiency<br/>portable power system called the QM Power ?PoD?? (Power on Demand). The PoD will power handheld<br/>consumer electronic devices (cell phones, tablets, laptops etc) utilizing a rechargeable battery and an<br/>advanced, mechanical energy generator system. QM Power, in conjunction with development partner<br/>Dell Engineering Services, will complete the design, analysis, prototyping and system integration of its<br/>generator technology into the PoD and will evaluate various accessories which allow the user to input<br/>mechanical energy via a crank, gravity assist mechanism or other methods. Research results from the<br/>Phase I effort indicate that utilizing QM Power generator technology in an auxiliary power/recharging<br/>system has the potential to reduce human input requirements by over 30% compared to state-of-the-art<br/>product offering now available.<br/>The broader impacts of this research are that the PoD will enable users to obtain critical power on<br/>demand and provide substantial environmental and public benefits (reducing grid dependence,<br/>disposable battery issues and providing power to emerging markets that lack access). Mobile devices<br/>have become increasingly power hungry while advances in battery energy density have not kept pace.<br/>As a result, the length of use, mobility, and ease use of these devices have been hampered. The QM<br/>Power PoD is designed as a hybrid, auxiliary power pack solution that combines a longer life<br/>rechargeable battery solution with a supplementary source of renewable, on-demand power that does not<br/>require access to the grid.
