Nanotechnology to help in electricity production

Nanotechnology to help in electricity production

New Zealand could tap into a global market worth billions of dollars by using nanotechnology to develop electrical generators that are efficient at converting ‘waste heat’ into electricity.

Most forms of energy generation produce ‘waste heat’ which scientists have tried, with only partial success, to convert efficiently into electrical energy.

Thermo-electric generators convert heart, or temperature differences, directly into electrical energy using a phenomenon called the Seebeck effect. However, conversion rates are stubbornly low – generally less than 10 percent - despite extensive efforts to lift performance.

Science is now turning to nanotechnology to provide a breakthrough where conventional technology has failed.

A three-year project being led by GNS Science has been awarded $260,000-a-year from the Marsden Fund to use nanotechnology processes to increase energy conversion efficiencies, leading to lower energy waste and reduced greenhouse gas emissions from energy production.

The project will trial a wafer-thin layer of space-age material embedded onto the surface of generator components to greatly enhance thermal and electrical conductivity.

A crucial ingredient in the project is ion-beam technology where atoms are embedded into the surface of materials to form a strongly bonded layer several hundred atoms thick. This creates superior electrical and physical properties.

The scientists will trial various combinations of bismuth, antimony, and zinc compounds to see which forms the most effective thin layer.

There are many potential applications for this new technology, ranging from lawn mowers and outboard motors to large industrial plants and power stations.

As well as researchers from GNS Science, the project includes scientists from Victoria University of Wellington and The University of Auckland and an American research organisation that specialises in industrial applications of nanotechnology.

Project leader John Kennedy, of GNS Science, said present technology meant, in many cases, it was not economically viable to recover lost heat energy.

“We see this project as a natural extension of our work which includes over a decade of developing nanostructured materials and semiconducting materials,” Dr Kennedy said.

By the end of three years, the scientists hope to test a thermoelectric power generator concept so industry can then develop it further and commercialise it.

The materials science team at GNS Science has been researching and developing nano-coatings and sensors since 1998 and has a number of notable successes including exporting one of its specialist systems to Australia for use by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation.

A second successful Marsden project for GNS Science will see palynologist Dallas Mildenhall work with colleagues at Otago University to examine small insects and fungi trapped in kauri amber to learn about New Zealand's 80 million-year-old flora and fauna record.

They will use a special technique to restore the transparency of kauri amber to reveal exquisitely preserved organisms such as spiders, mites, midges, wasps, ants, beetles, moths, as well as fungi and pollen.

The results of this research have the potential to revolutionise our understanding of the role of evolution, extinction, and environmental change in the formation of New Zealand’s forest ecosystems.

Of the 1222 preliminary proposals to the Marsden Fund nationally, 101 were successful and will get a share of the $56 million funding. This represents a success rate of 8.3 percent. All of the projects are funded for three years.

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