Graphene, in concept, has been around since the latter half of the 1800s, but it wasn’t until just over a decade ago that scientists were actually able to isolate atom-thick sheets of carbon, “a million times thinner than paper, stronger than diamond, and more conductive than copper,” as described by American Physical Society.
Since then, scientists and researchers have been uncovering the many unique properties of graphene, finding applications in water purification, hydrogen fuel cells, rechargeable batteries, even photovoltaic solar power. Is there anything graphene can’t do? As research and development teams can’t help but grin at the possible ways that graphene could change the world as we know it, we keep finding glimmers of hope for actual commercialized graphene-based products.
Sunvault Energy, a Canadian renewable energy company, says that graphene-based supercapacitors, developed by UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), have the potential to change the way that we charge portable electronic devices, from smartphones to electric vehicles. Sunvault Energy manufactures photovoltaic solar panels which, of course, generate renewable solar power. In turn, some kind of energy storage system is required for such a setup to be of any use, which is where UCLA’s graphene-based supercapacitors come in.
Under a new joint venture company, Supervault Energy combines Sunvault solar power with supercapacitors in a single device. The result is a fast-charging high-energy all-in-one device that can be scaled from smartphone size to electric vehicle charger size, as well as smartgrid and microgrid applications. Sunvault says that smartphone-sized systems might be able to recharge via solar power in just seconds, and electric vehicle battery packs in just minutes, though the solar power application on the electric vehicle isn’t particularly specific.
Looking forward to hearing more from Supervault Energy, especially since the news of the joint venture was just released today.
