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