The battery of a regular smartphone will work for three to four years in the conditions of daily charging. Is it possible to increase its service life and capacity, for example, tenfold? We ask this question to Volodymyr Kotsyubynsky, Professor at the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University. He and his team are working on the creation of new electrode materials for the latest power sources – hybrid supercapacitors.
You cannot deceive nature; it is possible to negotiate with it
So, is it possible to increase battery life and capacity? And how exactly? The scientist explained that smartphones usually use a lithium-ion battery, which has several undeniable advantages. The disadvantage of a lithium-ion battery is the inability to use high currents of charge or discharge. For example, when the “capacity” of the battery is 4000 mA * h, or 4 A * h, through a charger with an output current of 2 A, the smartphone will charge in two hours. It will not work faster, because when using a higher charge current, the life of the drive is reduced. However, in addition to lithium power sources, there are supercapacitors-ionizers. They contain carbon materials, have about 10 times lower energy density and at the same time have a much higher power density, when charging, you can use much higher charge-discharge currents, and the life of the supercapacitor will be tens and hundreds of thousands of cycles.
– The aim of the project is to develop hybrid systems, the characteristics of which are between ionizers and lithium batteries, – continues Volodymyr Kotsyubynsky. – We are trying to find a compromise: to create a hybrid system for which the density and energy as well as power will be acceptable from an operational point of view.
The most important thing is the team
All members of the team (nine people) work or study at the Faculty of Physics and Technology of the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian University. The team consists of four doctors of sciences, three doctoral students, an aspirant and a student.
The professional level of the team is very high: scientists work at the intersection of sciences, where they can achieve new and interesting results.
Expensive equipment at the expense of the state
Funding for the first half of 2021 has become paramount for the project team. It was at this time that it was planned to purchase a fundamentally important device for operation – an X-ray diffractometer, the cost of which is 3 million 850 thousand UAH.
– The purchase of the device, installation of a water-cooling system for the diffractometer and payment for consumables and services took almost all the money for the first half of the year, – explains Mr. Volodymyr. – But it is a fantastic opportunity to buy equipment of this level. I am grateful to the Foundation, which agreed to shift the funding schedule, which allowed to start the procurement procedure.
– We build all our projects on the principle: quality science is impossible without equipment, training of students and aspirants is impossible without scientific activity, – said the researcher.
Both opportunity and responsibility
We also ask the supervisor about the difficulties that arose during the project. Professor answered that there are enough difficulties in working moments, but the team is stubbornly moving towards the goal; its members understand that a project is an opportunity to synthesize knowledge and skills into a new quality, result and technological solutions.
– This is a very good opportunity and at the same time a great responsibility, – Mr. Volodymyr said. – I would like to thank the Foundation for the transparent and clear conditions for submitting applications and reporting. This is an undisputed step forward compared to other government agencies that have funded or are funding science in Ukraine.
Svitlana GALATA
