 |
On an ever-increasing energy consumption planet, our only hope is to develop new energy production technologies. Although the current renewable energy sources such as wind energy and solar energy have their advantages, there is a huge, permanent, untapped energy right under our nose, that is: geothermal energy.
Power generation from geothermal energy requires some kind of device that can utilize the heat inside the earth's crust. Recently, a team of scientists at Tokyo Tech led by Dr. Sachiko Matsushita has made significant progress in understanding and developing sensitized thermal batteries (STCs).
There are currently several methods for converting thermal energy into electrical energy, but its large-scale application is not feasible. For example, hot and cold redox batteries and devices based on the Seebeck effect cannot simply bury them in a heat source and use them.
Dr. Matsushita ’s research group had previously reported using STCs as a new method to directly convert thermal energy into electrical energy using dye-sensitized solar cells. They also replaced dyes with semiconductors, allowing the system to work with heat instead of light. In STC, a battery consists of three layers sandwiched between electrodes: an electron transport layer (ETM), a semiconductor layer (germanium), and a solid electrolyte layer (copper ions). In short, electrons change from a low-energy state to a high-energy state in a semiconductor by thermal excitation, and then naturally transfer to the ETM. Subsequently, they leave through the electrode, through the external circuit, through the counter electrode, and then reach the electrolyte. Oxidation and reduction reactions involving copper ions occurred at both interfaces of the electrolyte, resulting in the transfer of low-energy electrons to the semiconductor layer, so that the process can be restarted to complete a loop.
However, it was unclear at the time whether the battery could be used as a permanent generator, or whether the current would stop at some point. After testing, the research team found that after a period of time, the current did stop flowing, and proposed a mechanism to explain this phenomenon. Basically, the current is stopped because the redox reaction of the electrolyte layer is stopped due to the migration of different types of copper ions. Most importantly, and surprisingly, they found that as long as the external circuit is turned on for a period of time, the battery can restore this state in the presence of heat; in other words, by using a simple switch solve. Panasonic said that with such a design, geothermal energy, which is usually regarded as a low-quality energy source, will become a great renewable energy source.
The team is very excited about their findings because of its applicability, eco-friendliness, and potential to help resolve the global energy crisis. Panasonic said: "There is no fear of radiation, there is no fear of expensive oil, and there is no instability like relying on the sun and wind." Further improvement of this battery will be the goal of future research, hope one day Address human energy needs without damaging the planet.
(Originally from: Daily Science China New Energy Network Synthesis)
Single & Triple Wavelength AR Coating Services
Single & Triple Wavelength Ar Coating Services,Optical Grade Coating,Single Wavelength Ar Coating,Triple Wavelength Ar Coating
Lambda Research Optics ChangChun,LTD. , https://www.lambdachina.com