Ankur Gupta, an Indian-origin researcher, and his team have developed a new technology that can charge a dead laptop or phone in just a minute, or an electric car in 10 minutes. Their study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, details how tiny charged particles, known as ions, move within a complex network of minuscule pores.
According to Gupta, an assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at the US-based University of Colorado Boulder, this breakthrough could lead to the development of more efficient energy storage devices, such as 'supercapacitors'.
The discovery is important not only for storing energy in vehicles and electronic devices but also for power grids, where fluctuating energy demand needs efficient storage to avoid waste during periods of low demand and to ensure speedy delivery during high demand, Gupta said.
Supercapacitors, energy storage devices that depend on ion collection in their pores, have fast charging times and longer life spans compared to batteries, he added.
Researchers have found that the main advantage of supercapacitors is their speed. Prior to this study, the movement of ions was only described in the literature as occurring in a single straight pore. However, this discovery now enables the simulation and prediction of ion flow in a complex network of thousands of interconnected pores within a matter of minutes, according to the researchers.
Meanwhile, the National Hydrogen Mission, along with India's increased adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and other similar initiatives, is expected to drive the country's progress towards achieving a net-zero target by 2070, according to prominent scientists and thought leaders.
During an event organised by the Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the government, highlighted the importance of promoting EVs through initiatives such as the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) and the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) program, with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
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Inputs from IANS
