Researchers have discovered how tiny charged particles move within complex miniscule pores, which could be used to design more efficient supercapacitors. (Image credit: University of Colorado)
Researchers from CU Boulder have discovered how small charged particles move through a complex lattice of miniscule pores, a development that could lead to more efficient supercapacitors. The breakthrough could be utilized to charge mobile devices in 60 seconds or electric vehicles in a matter of minutes.
“Given the critical role of energy in the future of the planet, I felt inspired to apply my chemical engineering knowledge to advancing energy storage devices,” states Ankur Gupta, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering. “It felt like the topic was somewhat underexplored and, as such, the perfect opportunity.” Gupta explained that several chemical engineering techniques are used to study flow in porous materials, such as water filtration, but have yet to be fully utilized in energy storage systems.
In a recent paper, the researchers detail how ions move through a network of nanopores, a process that’s different from how a battery works. Typical batteries work by having extra electrons in the form of ions, which have more or fewer electrons than in their natural state, creating a positive or negative charge. Those ions are packed into the battery and are forced through a material that strips them of electrons, transforming them into electrical current as they flow out the battery’s terminal. When those electrons run out, the battery is dead. In rechargeable batteries, the ions gain electrons again and begin the process over and over again.
Supercapacitors, on the other hand, combine the design of a battery with a capacitor. A capacitor features two layers of conducted material that are separated by an insulator, which causes energy to accumulate on either side but doesn’t pass through. It is a little different than a supercapacitor, where energy builds on the surface in an electric field that holds the electrons in place. This is an important feature as the particles aren’t joining and being stripped from atoms and molecules in a chemical reaction, thus saving energy and wear over time.
The researchers used this existing knowledge and applied it to the flow of energy over a porous material. They also took into account Kirchoff’s law, a foundational principle that underpins the study of current and circuitry design. In their system of energy flowing over a system of pores, the researchers had to modify the law to account for the change. The resulting model will allow the researchers to design and test new supercapacitors that could charge devices in under a minute.
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