Film to protect gadgets from frost developed in Samara

SAMARA, July 31A student at Samara University named after Korolev has developed a thin heating film to protect gadgets and electric vehicle batteries during frosts, the university's press service told journalists.
«As is known, batteries used in various electronic devices are extremely sensitive to low temperatures and discharge very quickly in the cold. We have developed a special ultra-thin flat heater that will maintain the optimal temperature in battery systems and gadgets, while it will be very economical, consuming a minimum of energy,» said the developer of the heater, fourth-year student of the Institute of Aviation and Rocket and Space Technology of Samara University Bulat Khalitov.

It is assumed that the heater will receive electricity from the battery itself, which will have to warm it up. It is planned to come up with its own system for connecting and disconnecting the heater for different devices. The university noted that the heating film will affect the battery discharge rate to a much lesser extent than cold weather.

Khalitov noted that the advantages of the development include a very small thickness (about 0.2 millimeters), as well as a flexible design and low energy consumption due to high specific electrical resistance. The maximum permissible heating temperature of the structure is 150 degrees, its service life should be about 50 thousand hours.

At the moment, a prototype of the heater has been created and the first tests have been conducted. The development is planned to be patented. In addition, a project of a small enterprise for the production of such products has been prepared, and investors are being sought. At the same time, the student developer noted that the use of the device for electric vehicle batteries will allow them to be used at lower temperatures.
«The first market for our heaters could be the domestic electric vehicle market. Several product samples are planned to be produced at the university to demonstrate the efficiency and feasibility of this product at dealerships. This heater can be optionally installed directly on electric vehicle batteries. With our development, electric vehicles can be used in winter at lower temperatures, which will potentially expand the geography of electric vehicle sales, for example, through the northern regions of Russia,» Khalitov noted.