Next-generation batteries and a robotic security system are finalists in the SPbU Start-up − 2023 contest

The start-up team EnergoDar is developing a sodium-sulphur battery to replace lithium-ion batteries that contain toxic metals and have minimal specific capacity. The team members offer an innovative solution to address this issue. They propose using sulphur cathodes instead of ionic cathodes, with the sulphur cell encapsulated into yolk-shell. This will increase the battery lifetime and prevent short circuits.

If sulphur particles are not encapsulated, sulphur will be migrating to the anode side during the charge/discharge cycles. In each cycle, there will be less and less sulphur, leading to severe loss of active material and rapid capacity decay.

Nikita Antonov, Captain of the EnergoDar team

According to Nikita Antonov, the structure they created accommodates the volume expansion of sulphur without any losses within the shell. The addition of a special solvent allowed for keeping the size of the shell, while reducing the amount of sulphur used.

Another advantage of the EnergoDar project is the reduced production cost. Instead of lithium, which is not available on the Russian market, the EnergoDar team proposes to use sodium. By using sodium in combination with sulphur cathode, they will be able to preserve the battery capacity. The end product will be similar in energy density to advanced lithium-ion batteries. Additionally, the team members are working on expanding the temperature range of cycling.

When talking about the distribution of tasks in the EnergoDar team, Nikita Antonov noted that there is no division of responsibility between the members. They all perform a similar cycle of tasks. The decision was made so that all team members develop the practical skills and technical expertise necessary for professional development and career success.

We all have to get to the same high level. It is important that each of us should become a highly skilled professional and be able to go through all the start-up stages, from idea to implementation, each on their own.

Nikita Antonov, Captain of the EnergoDar team

In future, the team plans to conduct electrochemical tests to determine the percentage of sulphur dissolved in the electrolyte during a discharge/charge cycle and measure the number of cycles, specific energy, and shell strength.

The EnergoDar team unites students from St Petersburg University and St Petersburg Electrotechnical University "LETI". Nikita Antonov, Makar Besedovskii, Roman Matsenko and Danila Sumovskii are students at St Petersburg University. Nikita Antonov is the captain of the team, responsible for task distribution and team motivation. Makar Besedovskii, Roman Matsenko, and Danila Sumovskii, together with Sergei Anishchenko, a student at St Petersburg Electrotechnical University "LETI", are addressing the theoretical and practical objectives of the project.

Another finalist project in the SPbU Start-up − 2023 contest of innovative projects is a robotic system with a camera module. The goal is to ensure the security of industrial and sport facilities, as well as other areas that require extra security measures against enemy drones.

Read the following articles in the series "SPbU Start-up − 2023" that will feature other finalist teams and innovative projects in: Information Technology; Artificial Intelligence; Agriculture; and other fields.

The stationary system under development is designed to provide a range of functionality. The system features: a microcomputer to determine the distance from the centre to a selected point; communication equipment that signals when an enemy object is detected in the area; and several compact cameras to detect a drone or quadcopter imperceptible to the human eye. ‘Using our software, we can receive audio and video data, and radio signals within a half-kilometre radius and determine properties of the drone, regardless of the weather conditions,’ said Mikhail Pashkeev, Captain of the Artemida team.

The unit is small in size and easy to assemble. If need be, it can be quickly relocated. According to Mikhail Pashkeev, the key advantages of the software system under development are: minimal electricity consumption; the possibility of wireless operation on battery power; and no need for constant human presence. The component parts for the unit are created using 3D printing technology.

Our software system is designed to free the employee from monotonous and unsatisfying work. Humans are easily distracted. They have their specific psychological and physiological needs. A camera, on the other hand, does not get tired, distracted, or bored. It keeps an eye on everything working non-stop.

Mikhail Pashkeev, Captain of the Artemida team

Team captain Mikhail Pashkeev, a second-year master’s student at St Petersburg University, is responsible for communicating with customers and promoting the project on the market. Timur Nabiev and Vladislav Voronin are bachelor’s students at St Petersburg University. Timur Nabiev is the team’s idea generator. Together with Vladislav Voronin, he runs functionality tests to monitor the system’s operation and develops the software. Svetlana Grushchetskaia, a first-year master’s student at St Petersburg University, is responsible for negotiating partnership agreements. She also monitors the workflow to identify bottlenecks and errors. Vladimir Kiselev, a bachelor’s student at St Petersburg University, designs and moderates the modular system.

The Artemida team plans to conduct a series of mechanical tests to examine the unit for: strength; tightness; durability; instant response; and correctness of alerts. The team members intend to offer their hardware and software complex to: government agencies; the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation; military enterprises; and heads of security services.