Our Founder – Dr. Dennis Doerffel, Chief Technology Officer
Prior to starting REAPsystems in 2003, Dennis was conducting research at the University of Southampton, when his publication of test results with large Li-ion battery cells created significant industry interest. REAPsystems was established to respond, and the development of the REAPsystems Battery Management System (BMS) was initiated.
Dennis started his career as an engineer officer in the Federal German Army, and during his spare time experimented with electric vehicles and batteries. Along with a group of friends Dennis founded V.E.R.A. in 1998, a club for electric vehicle enthusiasts based in the Aachen region of Germany.
In 2001 Dennis moved to the UK to undertake a PhD at Southampton University. His research topic was 'Energy Management of Hybrid Electric Vehicles', with a focus on testing and characterising large lithium-ion batteries. Prior to this he had studied electrical engineering and communication electronics at BW Hamburg University and also taken an Open University Hagen course on software engineering and artificial intelligence.
As the first importer and professional evaluator of affordable large lithium-Ion batteries for electric vehicles in Europe, he was convinced that this technology could provide a breakthrough towards more sustainable transportation. In the beginning he organised seminars, bulk orders for researchers, developers and enthusiasts, and set up an internet discussion forum to promote the technology. He published a paper at the first Large Lithium-Ion Battery Technology and Application Symposium LLIBTA (part of Advanced Automotive Battery Conference 2005).
In 2003 Dennis developed a concept car that demonstrates how sustainable transport in the future could work. His idea of using lithium ion batteries as a supplementary power source to petrol engines was put into action with a 250mpg hybrid electric car of which the battery can be an adequate source of energy supply for more than 90% of car journeys. Definite advantages of using electric power include the quietness of the motor even when accelerating, the small size of the electric motor, the lightweight rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, the controllability of building up extra power with the petrol engine and its incredibly low running cost.
Banner image courtesy of Niloo Kohan Photography