CAREER: Microscale Direct Energy Conversion by Field Emission and Microscale Technology in Thermo-Fluids Engineering Education

本研究项目将用人造金刚石和类金刚石阴极研究真空电子场发射微结构中的热能-电能转换现象。由于钻石的半导体能带结构产生高能电子的选择性发射，以及微结构特征，如微米级的金字塔尖端增强电场，预计热力学性能将得到改善。在新的理论和计算分析的指导下，将进行新的实验来表征低温制冷和高温发电的热力学性能。在这个项目中，将制造微米级金字塔形金刚石尖端阵列，并研究它们作为制冷和发电设备的能力。一个工作装置可以包括每平方厘米超过1000万个尖端，并可以提供新的解决方案，以满足便携式冷却技术和移动发电的新需求。此外，这一概念承诺的效率和简单性可以改善大规模能源系统，如可再生太阳能转换器。

CTS-9983961AbstractThis research program will investigate thermal-electrical energy conversion phenomena in vacuum electron field emission microstructures with synthetic diamond and diamond-like cathodes. An improved thermodynamic performance is expected due to diamond's semiconductor band structure, which produces a selective emission of high-energy electrons, and microstructural features, such as micron-scale pyramidal tips that enhance electrical fields. Guided by new theoretical and computational analyses, new experiments will be conducted to characterize thermodynamic performance for low-temperature refrigeration and high-temperature electrical power generation. In this program, arrays of micron-scale pyramidal diamond tips will be fabricated, and their ability to act as refrigeration and power generation devices will be studied. A working device could include more than ten million tips per square centimeter and could provide new solutions to emerging needs in portable cooling technology and mobile electrical power generation. Further, the efficiency and simplicity promised by this concept could improve large-scale energy systems, such as renewable solar energy converters.