Russian researchers created a unique charger for mobile phones and laptops. Many foreign scientific centres became interested in this innovative development.

Common power supply for a cell phone or a laptop is either a non-reusable battery or an accumulator, which needs charging from time to time. The world is flooded with various power sources, and no one even thought about changing anything. That is why the idea of Russian scientists was so astonishing for many experts and professionals in power engineering. Russians suggested using hydrogen in power supplies.

Hydrogen is deservedly called “21 century fuel”, and tens of electric vehicles, powered by this fuel, rush along roads of various countries. But how can we extract energy from hydrogen, stored in a tiny device? The problem has a solution thanks to nanotechnologies, developed in Russia. Mentioned technology allows constructing a power unit, providing thirty hours of pauseless talking. Compare with foreign achievements – best accumulators, produced abroad, provide only three hours of chattering over the phone. New development is health and environment friendly and weighs as little as 180 grams. Standard charger of the same weight usually gives only 1.5 charging cycles, and new one – 5 cycles. Only 10-15 minutes are enough for the new device to bring a telephone back to life after total run-down.

The “heart” of the device is a nanoporous membrane with a catalytic agent – just think of a layered pancake with about ten layers having various thicknesses – from single nanometers to hundreds of nanometers. Every square centimeter of the membrane contains up to 100 billion of pores, each having several nanometers in diameter. The technology of making these pores is know-how of Russian scientists. Such a multilayer structure allows making high energies in tiny devices – thus providing small weight and long life. The device as light as 100-150 grams is enough of a laptop.

Nanoporous membrane is the place, where electric current is generated by means of a well-known chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. Moreover, hydrogen comes from a special compound inside the device, and oxygen comes from the air. In simple word, you carry an electrical outlet in your pocket. Such charging unit is worth its weight in gold during long flights, journeys, in the country, anywhere with no electricity.

Soon a plant in Dubna starts serial production of such devices. Engineers already signed a cooperation agreement with an American company. All research for this innovation was funded by the Russian state. Authors engaged many young scientists (less than thirty years old) for this work, and now claim that was a great part of their success. Today this project is included into the International partnership in hydrogen economy, in which famous international science and research centres take part, for instance Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (USA), Fraunhofer Institute (Germany) and SMK Corporation (Great Britain).

Source: RG.ru

Kizilova Anna