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Project

Calyos has completed Calypow project.

Location:

Charleroi, Belgium

DATE:

August 31, 2021

Calyos has successfully completed our Calypow project, moving from TRL 1 to TRL 3.

In June 2020 Calyos started a research project to study and evaluate aluminium as material for the evaporator. This initial project was to develop the technology from TRL 1 to TRL 3. This included the development of a research prototype which proved the feasibility of making full aluminium evaporators. Calyos now intends to complete a follow up project to further increase the TRL level.

With the rapid growth of electrified mobility, power electronics are a critical component providing power conversion or inversion. Applications include charging infrastructure and the powertrain itself. In tandem electronic providers are developing ever smaller components, utilising technologies like GaN and SiC. As they decrease in size they also increase in heat density requiring ever higher performance cooling systems.  For the e-mobility industry power-to-weight ratio is critical to maximise the range of such vehicles. Hence lightweight cooling systems are a demand from the industry.

The Calypow project aimed to develop a more cost effective and lighter weight cooling technology from our existing passive high-performance loop heat pipe evaporators. This has involved developing an aluminum evaporator for the e-mobility mass market. The Calypow project has taken the first step in this direction designing and developing a research prototype that has increased TRL level from TRL 1 to TRL 3. Making the leap to aluminium will enable a more cost effective, lightweight solution compared to the existing copper and stainless steel solution currently in production. The aim will be to reduce the cost by over 75% and the weight by 50%, hence why Calyos intends to continue the development to raise the solution to TRL5.

Today, Calyos' loop heat pipe cooling solutions are very efficient and 100% passive but they are still too expensive and too heavy, especially for high volume markets which have demanding price requirements. This is an important target for Calyos that will enable market penetration. To compensate for the risk associated with innovation, this new solution must be offered at the same price as the solution to be replaced so that its competitive advantages are an important differentiating means to enabling adoption in the market.

Calyos is thankful to the Walloon region for supporting this R&D project to support Calyos' future. It should be noted that the results of this project may be used in our other market segments.

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