HPU installs system to strengthen energy storage, materials research
The Department of Physics at Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla, has installed the internationally acclaimed Precision LC II Ferroelectric/Multiferroic Loop Tester under the Rs-10 crore ANRF-PAIR (Partnership for Advanced Innovation and Research) project. Prof Mahavir Singh, Vice-Chancellor, HPU, said that the newly established facility marked one of the first major high-end scientific research infrastructure commissioned under the ANRF-PAIR initiative and represented a major step forward in strengthening the HPU’s capabilities in advanced materials and next-generation energy storage research.
“The facility will support cutting-edge research on high-energy-density dielectric capacitors, ferroelectric materials and advanced multifunctional materials aimed at future energy technologies. The research directly addresses major global challenges associated with conventional chemical batteries, including slow charging rates, thermal degradation, and limited life cycle performance,” he added.
Prof Mahavir said, “The system will facilitate research in ultra-fast charging and rapid energy-release storage technologies with potential applications in hybrid and electric vehicles, aerospace systems, defence technologies, smart grids, high-speed transportation systems and advanced electronic devices.”
He added, “With this sophisticated infrastructure, the HPU joins a select group of national and international institutions working at the forefront of advanced ferroelectric and multifunctional materials research.”
The Vice-Chancellor said, “The Precision LC II system will enable highly accurate characterisation of polarisation behaviour, dielectric properties, leakage currents and endurance performance of advanced materials at microscopic scales. The ANRF-PAIR initiative is expected to further strengthen the scientific ecosystem at the HPU by empowering researchers and scholars to undertake world-class experimental research in the state itself, reducing dependence on external laboratories and creating new opportunities for innovation, collaboration and high-impact scientific research from the Himalayan region.”
