Imagine charging your computer in one minute, or if it were possible to start a fully electric car in 10 minutes: according to scientists, this is closer to happening.
A team of researchers has discovered important data about how ions move through the tiny pores of a supercapacitor – an energy storage device with the ability to charge much faster than conventional batteries.
The study, conducted by a team of scientists from the University of California in the United States, and published on Friday in the scientific journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences”, indicates that this will soon be possible.
In their research, the scientists discovered how ions, the electrically charged particles in a battery, move through a complex network of tiny pores. This discovery could improve the efficiency and speed of ion movement in electrolytes, opening the door to the development of new supercapacitors, with much shorter charging times.
Supercapacitors are able to store a much larger amount of electrical energy than conventional capacitors, and they can be charged very quickly compared to common batteries.
“There are many chemical engineering techniques used to study flow in porous materials, such as oil tanks and water filtration, but they have not been used in energy storage systems yet,” says Ankur Gupta, a professor of chemistry and biological engineering from UCLA. University of California and lead author of the study.
This discovery is important not only for energy storage in vehicles and electronic devices, but also for electrical grids, where variations in energy demand require efficient storage to avoid waste during periods of low demand and ensure rapid supply during high demand.
Supercapacitors, energy storage devices that rely on the accumulation of ions in their pores, have fast charging times and longer lives than batteries. “The main attraction of supersensors is their speed,” Gupta says. “So how can we speed up the charging process and release energy? Through more efficient movement of ions.
“This is the big step we have taken in our business,” concludes Ankur Gupta. “We have found the missing link.”
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