MPEI projects - prize winners of "Quality Innovation Award 2020" contest

MPEI projects entered the shortlist of winners of the Quality Innovation Award 2020.

The international contest was organized for the 14th time by the Finnish Association of quality and National quality organizations of Hungary, Israel, India, Spain, Kazakhstan, China, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Serbia, Czech Republic, Sweden, Estonia and South Africa. Overall, 416 innovations in 8 nominations were contested to select 25 prizewinners. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic the traditional ceremony of awarding was postponed and is to be conducted in April 2021 by Serbian Association of quality, SRMEK.

Laureates of the Award in each category have been through the rigid project evaluation based on their newness, comfort in usage, ease in use, client-orientation and effectiveness. This year MPEI opened two projects to the contest.

Work of the associate professor of the Department of Electromechanics, Electrical and Electronic Devices, Ph.D. Ekaterina Kurbatova, "Kinetic energy storage device with a high-temperature superconducting suspension" received the highest rating in the category "Potential innovations".

An energy storage device using a flywheel with a non-contact magnetic suspension based on the Meissner effect in high-temperature superconductors is a new environmentally friendly and efficient way to save energy. The idea of the work is: the principle of the kinetic energy storage is based on the storage of electrical energy in the form of mechanical energy of a rotating flywheel. Magnetic levitation is used to increase the efficiency of the device. Thus, the flywheel levitates in a vacuum, which eliminates frictional losses. The developed design of a kinetic energy storage device with a contactless magnetic suspension based on the effect of high-temperature superconductivity makes it possible to increase the efficiency of energy storage up to the level of modern storage batteries. The use of such highly efficient KNE improves the quality and reliability of electrical networks, especially remote and decentralized (including the use of renewable energy sources), reduces operating costs, and augments the environmental friendliness of energy storage systems.

The joint project of MPEI and BMPower (a Skolkovo resident) "Light energy sources for drones and robots based on hydrogen-air fuel cells with zero toxic emissions" won a prize in the nomination "Innovations in the field of circular economy and reduction of carbon emissions". Project leader from MPEI is Sergey Nefedkin, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Chemistry and Electrochemical Energy of MPEI.

The idea of the work is: power systems based on hydrogen-air fuel cells with direct air supply show specific energy values ​​up to 700 W h / kg. This is 3–5 times higher than that of lithium-ion batteries, which makes it possible to significantly increase, for example, the flight range of a drone comparable to a drone equipped with an internal combustion engine. However, unlike internal combustion engines, energy systems based on fuel cells do not have harmful emissions, show an efficiency of more than 50%, and low noise and vibration levels. This expands the potential area of ​​their application for power supply of light air and ground vehicles, as well as robotic devices.

Two awards at once is the best achievement of Russian projects through all the participation history. Congratulations to our fellow prizewinners Ekaterina Kurbatova and Sergey Nefedkin on the successful participation in the International Contest of "Quality Innovation Award 2020", wishing them further advancement!