Prototyping Supercapacitor Cells: An Interview With Yurii Maletin

Yurii Maletin, leader of WP4 at HEDAsupercap

The mission of HEDAsupercap lies in paving the way towards widespread deployment of high energy density hybrid supercapacitors in the mobility and consumer goods sectors.

To understand both the relevance and the challenges of turning this technology into reality, we interviewed Yurii Maletin, from our partner Yunasko and leader of WP4 on "Prototyping Supercapacitor Cells." In this conversation, Yurii sheds light on what it takes to move from lab-scale components to working prototypes, with e-scooters and bikers' warming gloves as the project's two real-world testbeds.

What is the main role of WP4 with HEDAsupercap and how does it contribute to the project’s main objectives?

Yurii: The role of this work programme follows from its objectives: (a) to develop methods for obtaining all key components (electrode materials, electrolytes, and current collectors) of efficient supercapacitors; (b) to develop procedures for assembling and manufacturing supercapacitor cells; (c) to fabricate prototypes of supercapacitor cells and optimise their performance for various applications.

WP4 also involves developing nanostructured current collectors with an area of 100 cm². What role do current collectors play in overall cell performance and what makes nanostructuring them particularly challenging?

Yurii: Increasing the surface area of the current collector reduces internal resistance, as resistance is inversely proportional to the actual contact area between the active layer of the electrode and the collector. Reducing internal resistance, in turn, increases the power and efficiency of the supercapacitor.

You’re prototyping cells for different applications, how much does the design and fabrication process actually change depending on the end use case?

Yurii: A universal power source does not exist, and creating one would be virtually impossible. Different applications require different electrochemical system designs and manufacturing processes. Developers and manufacturers must, in fact, meet user requirements such as energy and power density, operating temperature range, and safety.