Vyatka State University develops solid-state electrochemical devices for green energetics

As part of the strategic project "Habitat" of the Priority 2030 program, samples of interconnectors and glass sealants have been created that can compete with European counterparts and solve the problem of import substitution

At VyatSU, the largest university in the Kirov region, the implementation of the strategic project "Habitat" is in full swing, aimed at solving the global problem of reducing the negative anthropogenic impact on the environment. Employees of the Institute of Chemistry and Ecology are developing solid oxide electrochemical devices for green energy.

We are talking about electrochemical generators of electrical energy - devices that convert the chemical energy of any fuel (hydrogen, natural gas, biogas, biodiesel) into electricity; and devices for generating pure hydrogen, which acts as a universal energy currency. All these devices, explained acting chief of the Department of Technology of Inorganic Substances and Electrochemical Production Anton Kuzmin, have much in common, including the materials used.

A.V. Kuzmin said that Russia has accumulated some experience in the development of singular fuel cells. Other types of materials, in particular glass sealants, necessary for hermetically connecting cells into a battery, and interconnectors responsible for current collection, are currently produced exclusively by foreign companies.

    "Today we are developing our own materials both as part of the Habitat project and as part of the consortium of the NTI Center “Hydrogen as the basis of a low-carbon economy”. We already have samples of glass sealants with a polymer binder, some of which are made using the 3D printing method, which allows precise control over the shape and dimensions of the products. To solve the problem of creating interconnectors, we focus on domestic materials, including serial steel grades - when using the right approaches to organizing protective coatings, they may well become the basis for obtaining products with the required characteristics" - said Anton Valerievich.

In the future, he noted, it is planned not only to manufacture individual components, but also a device - a battery that provides electricity with high efficiency and low emissions - as a whole. Today, a large interdisciplinary team of Vyatka State University is involved in this activity, aimed at solving the problem of import substitution.

Read in Russian