In a revolutionary advance for science, the researcher and physical engineer from the University of Santiago de Chile (Usach), Carolina Manquian, has achieved a discovery that could transform the way we store and generate energy for cars.
A Scientific Milestone in Energy Technology
The scientific milestone focuses on the adaptation of a type of organic metal crystal to give it supercapacitor properties, opening new possibilities in the field of energy technology. Collaborating with members of the Millennium Institute for Research in Optics, Miró, as well as the Austral and Federico Santa María universities, Carolina Manquian's work has been published in the prestigious journal Nanomaterials, specialized in nanoscience.
Manquian, who is a PhD candidate in Engineering Sciences, with a mention in Materials Sciences and Engineering at Usach, under the guidance of academic Dr. Dinesh Pratap Singh, detailed the scope of this investigation.
Recommended
The scientist explained that When starting a vehicle's engine, there are two types of conventional storage devices. that work together: those that store large amounts of energy, such as batteries that distribute it slowly over time, and those that supply the energy very quickly, called supercapacitors, taking less than a second.
“In daily life we can see this with vehicles that have a start-stop system, that when reaching a red light they stop completely, the engine turns off, but everything else continues working. Then when you accelerate again they immediately resume normal operation thanks to these supercapacitors. Among other benefits, it increases the useful life of the battery, also reduces your fuel consumption and therefore collaborates with the environment through lower CO2 emissions.Manquian said.
Implications on Energy Efficiency and Sustainability
Until now, the supercapacitors developed had a significantly lower storage capacity than lithium-ion batteries. The use of organic metal crystal as a base to generate energy represents a crucial advance in this area, with implications that go beyond the automotive industry. This discovery could improve energy storage technologies in general, including lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells.
Carolina Manquian's work not only promises to transform energy efficiency in the vehicle field, but could also have a significant impact on the energy storage device industry, paving the way towards more sustainable and advanced solutions. With this advance, a future is glimpsed where mobility is cleaner, more efficient and respectful of the environment.