Leader: Assoc. Prof. Petr Bača

The researchers‘ efforts are concentrated on engineering and developing electrochemical sources of energy, including, above all, lead, lithium-ion, sodium-ion, and lithium-sulphur accumulators; in this context, fuel cells also receive substantial attention. One of the stable objectives rests in broadening the collaboration with research-oriented and commercial partners at the national and international levels: The group organizes annual international conferences, namely, ABAF (Advanced Batteries, Accumulators and Fuel Cells) and USEE (Unconventional Sources of Electrical Energy), which promote renewable sources of energy and different approaches to energy storage and processing by means of electrochemical sources.

Major 4-year outputs:

• A flexible, thin-film hybrid supercapacitor developed in collaboration with the company SPUR a.s., Zlín; the University of Pardubice; and the Rybitví-based COC (Center of organic chemistry, s.r.o.) research company.
• Alkali and/or alkaline earth ion-monoclinic sulfur allotrope battery with self-supporting electrodes: a patent targeting Li-S accumulators and methods for increasing their stability, produced jointly with a Norwegian partner.
• Analyses to characterize the suitability of materials for use as accumulator electrodes, electrolytes, and separators.
• Analyses of accumulators performed for industrial and commercial purposes. Most of the individual documents were employed either in internal company audits to help extend the life and to optimize the operating modes of accumulators or as tools to resolve complaints or related disputes.
• Expert reports ordered by a court or compiled to satisfy the demand of a commercial subject.

Leader: Assoc. Prof. Jiří Vaněk

The group pursues not only basic research and development but also industrial cooperation within photovoltaic cells, modules, and panels. In terms of the primary research, our specialists investigate perovskite photovoltaic cells; within the applied domain, attention is directed towards eliminating the effects that degrade photovoltaic modules. The diagnostic activities then consist mainly in developing luminescence techniques to analyze cells and modules in an accredited laboratory (PV Lab).

Major 4-year outputs:

• HYLSKY, J.; STRACHALA, D.; HLADIK, J.; CUDEK, P.; KAZDA, T.; VANEK, J.; VYROUBAL, P.; STARY, J. Design of P-Type Photovoltaic Cells Resistant to Potential-Induced Degradation. IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, 2018, vol. 99, no. 99, p. 300-306. ISSN: 2156-3381.
• STOJAN, R.; VANEK, J. Luminescence Diagnostics of Photovoltaic Cells. International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology (IJRASET), 2018, vol. 1, no. 1, p. 1-4. ISSN: 2321-9653.
• HYLSKY, J.; STRACHALA, D.; VYROUBAL, P.; CUDEK, P.; VANEK, J.; VANYSEK, P. Effect of negative potential on the extent of PID degradation in photovoltaic power plant in a real operation mode. Microelectronics Reliability, 2018, no. 85, p. 12-18. ISSN: 0026-2714.

Leader: Prof. Petr Vanýsek

The group specializes in designing and characterizing materials for use within diverse electrical engineering applications. The focus is mainly on electrode and electrocatalytic materials for electrochemical sources of energy, but dielectrics and other insulators are examined too. With their high-end equipment, the laboratories facilitate the acquisition of comprehensive material data related to an investigated substance.

Major 4-year outputs:

• CECH, O., CASTKOVA, K., CHLADIL, L., DOHNAL, P., CUDEK, P., LIBICH, J., VANYSEK, P. Synthesis and characterization of Na2Ti6O13 and Na2Ti6O13/Na2Ti3O7 sodium titanates with nanorod-like structure as negative electrode materials for sodium-ion batteries, J. Energy Storage 2017 (14) 391-398.
• LACINA, K.; SOPOUSEK, J.; SKLADAL, P.; VANYSEK, P. Boosting of the output voltage of a galvanic cell. Electrochimica Acta, 2018, vol. 282, no. 1, p. 331-335.
• ZIMAKOVA, J.; VACULIK, S.; BACA, P.; VANYSEK, P.; CUDEK, P. New Additive in NAM of Lead-Acid Battery Electrodes. In ECS transaction. ECS Transactions. USA: ECS, 2017. p. 1-10.
• VANYSEK, P.; NOVAK, V. Redox Flow Batteries as the Means for Energy Storage. Journal of Energy Storage, 2017, vol. 13.
• KAZDA, T.; VANYSEK, P. The Chalkboard: Lithium Batteries as Electrochemical Sources of Energy. Electrochemical Society Interface, 2016, vol. 2016, no. 3, p. 47-49.

Leader: Jiří Starý, Ph.D.

The group’s experts collaborate with the industry (ALPS ELECTRIC, AŽD, CONTINENTAL, HONEYWELL) to participate in solving material and process problems connected with both the actual PCBs and the mounting approaches. Within the technological development and the manufacturing cycle, the team members analyze the causes of PCB and soldering defects; assist in eliminating production issues; and support the testing and comparison of new materials and surface treatment procedures.

Major 4-year outputs:

• BUSEK, D., DUSEK, K., RUZICKA, D., PLACEK, M., MACH, P., URBANEK, J., STARY, J. Flux effect on void quantity and size in soldered joints. Microelectronics Reliability, 2016, č. 60, s. 135-140. ISSN: 0026-2714.
• HYLSKY, J.; STRACHALA, D.; HLADIK, J.; CUDEK, P.; KAZDA, T.; VANEK, J.; VYROUBAL, P.; STARY, J. Design of P-Type Photovoltaic Cells Resistant to Potential-Induced Degradation. IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, 2018, vol. 99, no. 99, p. 300-306. ISSN: 2156-3381.

Leader: Petr Vyroubal, Ph.D.

We concentrate on close cooperation with the industry to solve multiple tasks stemming from the real needs of manufacturers. When searching for suitable options, we can benefit from our main assets, including long-term experience in modeling fluid and gas flow to atmospheric pressure and pressures approaching vacuum; the ability to analyze heat flow and transfer in diverse structures and electronic devices; and the skills necessary for the simulation of real and virtual operating conditions and also processes such as the heating and cooling of bodies in time. Computations of low-frequency electric and magnetic fields are performed on a regular basis.

Major 4-year outputs:

• A probe to measure the electrical properties of ceramic powders.
• VYROUBAL, P.; KAZDA, T.; MAXA, J.; VONDRAK, J.; SEDLARIKOVA, M.; TICHY, J.; CIPIN, R. 3D Modelling and Study of Electrochemical Characteristics and Thermal Stability of Commercial Accumulator by Simulation Methods. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ELECTROCHEMICAL SCIENCE, 2016, no. 11, pp. 1-13. ISSN: 1452-3981.

Leader: Alexandr Otáhal, Ph.D.

The team explores state-of-the-art hardware technologies within the following subdomains: joint miniaturization (lead-free soldering); semiconductor chip bonding and packaging (with packages such as BGA, MCM, SoP, and BoB); printed circuit board cleaning; and, partially, the development of environmentally friendly PCB cleaning devices. Besides this main research corpus, a wide range of applications are being developed, including, for example, thermodynamic sensorics, multilayered structures with embedded passive components, and new deposition methods.

Major 4-year outputs:

• Glass substrates to enable the monitoring of the PCB cleaning procedure and its effect: a commercialized and practised patent.
• A directly heated reballing stencil for BGA assemblies: a commercialized and practised patent.
• A very high resolution dispensing printer: a commercialized and practised patent.
• A soldering station to operate at lowered pressures and in a protective atmosphere.

Leader: Prof. Lubomír Grmela

The laboratory operates a Tescan LYRA electron microscope and also AFM and SNOM (NT-MDT) scanning devices; the research is centered on the microscopy of surfaces and materials, including the analysis of elements. Using an ion beam, surfaces are microscopically machined and modified.

Major 4-year outputs:

• TALU, S.; MOROZOV, I.; SOBOLA, D.; SKARVADA, P. Multifractal Characterization of Butterfly Wings Scales. BULLETIN OF MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY, 2018, no. 10, pp. 1-15. ISSN: 0092-8240.
• BAI, Y.; TOFEL, P.; HADAS, Z.; SMILEK, J.; LOSAK, P.; SKARVADA, P.; MACKU, R. Investigation of a cantilever structured piezoelectric energy harvester used for wearable devices with random vibration input. MECHANICAL SYSTEMS AND SIGNAL PROCESSING, 2018, vol. 106, no. 106, pp. 303-318. ISSN: 0888-3270.

Leader: Pavel Škarvada, Ph.D.

The group employs the AFM/SEM techniques and interferometry to examine material surfaces in a non-destructive and contactless manner; the central research aims consist in acquiring or performing the topography, local spectroscopy, and fluorescence of semiconductor surfaces.

Major 4-year outputs:

• Analysis of fracture surfaces (Česká zbrojovka, a. s.)
• Analysis of welds in electromagnets (IMI precision).
• TALU, S.; SOBOLA, D.; SOLAYMANI, S.; DALLAEV, R.; BRUSTLOVA, J. Scale-dependent Choice of Scanning Rate for AFM Measurements. In DEStech Transactions on Computer Science and Engineering. DEStech Transactions on Computer Science and Engineering. EStech Transactions on Computer Science and Engineering, 2018, p. 453-459. ISBN: 978-1-60595-065-5. ISSN: 2475-8841.
• ŢALU, S.; PAPEZ, N.; SOBOLA, D.; ACHOUR, A.; SOLAYMANI, S. Micromorphology investigation of GaAs solar cells: case study on statistical surface roughness parameters. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE- MATERIALS IN ELECTRONICS, 2017, vol. 28, no. 15, pp. 1-12. ISSN: 0957-4522.
• GARCZYK, Z.; STACH, S.; TALU, S.; SOBOLA, D.; WROBEL, Z. Segmentation of Three-Dimensional Images of the Butterfly Wing Surface. In Information Technology in Biomedicine. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing. 1. Springer, Cham, 2018, pp. 111-121. ISBN: 978-3-319-91211-0. ISSN: 2194-5357.

Leader: Prof. Pavel Koktavý

The laboratory performs non-destructive diagnostics of electronic components, sensors, and electrical insulation and building materials. The group’s experts utilize support techniques such as the monitoring of transport and fluctuation processes, and they also routinely use acoustic and electromagnetic emission methods.

Major 4-year outputs:

• Designing and implementing an autonomous device for the field collection of electromagnetic emission data in the monitoring of processes inside rock.
• Using acoustic emission to detect loose particles in metal samples during the manufacturing proces
• SKVARENINA, L.; MACKU, R. Noise and optical spectroscopy of single junction silicon solar cell. METROL MEAS SYST, 2018, vol. 25, no. 2, p. 303-316. ISSN: 0860-8229.
• TRCKA, T.; MACKU, R.; KOKTAVY, P.; SKARVADA, P.; BARON, I.; STEMBERK, J. Field Measurement of Natural Electromagnetic Emissions near the Active Tectonic and Mass-Movement Fractures in Caves. Solid State Phenomena, 2017, vol. 258, no. 1, p. 460-464. ISSN: 1662-9779.
• MACKU, R.; KOKTAVY, P.; SEDLAK, P.; SMULKO, J.; TRAWKA, M. Analytical fluctuation enhanced sensing by resistive gas sensors. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 2015, vol. 2015, no. 213, p. 390-396. ISSN: 0925-4005.