Energy and Nanotechnology

Part Deux

Importance of Energy Storage

• Solar PVs are great! But what about at night?

• Power mobile devices / cars

• Lighter, more efficient– Batteries– Supercapacitors

• Energy Usage– LEDs– Thermal

Insulation– Lightweight

Materials

Energy Storage Needs

Energy (J)Power (W =J/s)

Batteries

• Chemical energy -> electrical energy

http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/power/2-how-do-batteries-work.html

http://www.hk-phy.org/energy/commercial/cell_is01_e.html

Li-Ion Batteries

• Li+ has high energy density

• Rechargeable• Safety concerns

Nano LIBs

• Silicon can replace graphite as electrode

• Nano-structuring allows for expansion

http://www.kurzweilai.net/new-paper-like-material-for-lithium-ion-batteries-could-boost-electric-vehicle-range

Liquid Metal Battery

• Different metal densities separate easily

http://phys.org/news/2013-11-ambri-liquid-metal-battery-prototype.html

Flow Batteries• Separate

power and energy

• Easy to recharge

• Safe• Complicated• Consumes

energy

Nano-Flow Battery

• Nanoparticles of Li-Battery Material• nanoFlowcell – Q-eSportslimousine

http://www.technologyreview.com/article/425107/go-with-the-flow/http://www.anl.gov/sites/anl.gov/files/es_nanoelectrofuels-broch-genl.pdf

Supercapacitors

Capacitor/Graphene Capacitor

• Capacitor -> dielectric• Supercapcitor -> Helmholtz

Double layer

Energy Efficiency

• Lighting• Thermal Energy• Automotive/Aerospace

LED

• Like a photovoltaic but in reverse• More efficient than incandescent bulb• Needs to be energy efficient to make

LED displays

Physics Nobel Prize• IR LEDs – GaAs 1960s• Visible LEDs – doped GaP 1960s• Blue LEDs – GaN 1980s – 1990s– MOVPD– Doping– Activate dopants

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2014/advanced-physicsprize2014.pdf

QD LEDs • Made

possible by efficient blue LED

• Tune color better than traditional materials

• More efficient

http://www.nanosysinc.com/what-we-do/quantum-dots/

Applications

• Displays– QD Vision– Nanosys

• Lighting– Pacific Light Technologies

Organic LEDs

• Polymer or small molecule• Solution processable• Expensive to make

http://education.mrsec.wisc.edu/background/LED/

Escaping Light

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S41/14/79S63/index.xml?section=topstories

• Plasmonic cavity with subwavelength hole-array• Made using nanoimprint lithography

Thermal Energy

• Thermal management – High thermal conductivity– CarbAl

• Insulation– Low thermal conductivity– Aerogels

Lighter/Stronger Materials

• Nanostructured bulk materials• Polymer nanocomposites• Carbon nanotechnology

Polymer Journal (2012) 44, 334–339

http://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=3103