Materials World Network: Microstructural Design for Enhanced Efficiency in Solid State Energy Conversion

材料世界网络：提高固态能量转换效率的微观结构设计

• 批准号: 1108396
• 负责人: Joseph Ross, Jr.
• 金额: $ 42万
• 依托单位: Texas A&M University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-09-15 至 2015-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1108396&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Materials; World; Network; Microstructural; Design

A collaboration between Texas A&M University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, investigates the microstructural design of magnetic shape memory alloys (MSMAs) tailored for highly efficient energy conversion. The thermoelastic coupling inherent in these materials provides a route to considerable energy-saving devices based on harvesting of otherwise wasted mechanical work. With the addition of magnetic and electronic couplings, MSMAs as multicaloric materials offer many possibilities for conversion into useful forms of energy. It has also recently been shown that the thermo-elastic process can be harnessed for refrigeration, with large theoretical efficiency gain as compared to current technology. The researchers implement a comprehensive program to study the magneto-thermo-mechanical coupling in MSMAs. The US team collaborates with the Chinese group to fabricate materials with a wide range of controlled microstructures and orientations (single crystals, bi-crystals, controlled texture) and characterize the magneto-thermo-mechanical behavior as a function of processing parameters and microstructural features related to grain size, particle size, volume fraction, morphology, and texture. This is paired with a detailed characterization of the magnetic structure and its coupling to the microstructure. The overall goal is to overcome current material shortcomings, e.g., reduce the transformation hysteresis, increase the toughness, and improve the actuation stress. An important practical target is to achieve inexpensive MSMAs based on controlled solidification and microstructure design, thus providing a highly efficient platform for energy conversion applications. The research not only advances the fundamental understanding of the multi-functional alloys, but highly efficient MSMAs can potentially revolutionize the field of solid-state cooling. Education benefits include the participation of US students in the international research activities at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, one of the leading materials research universities in China, as well as the establishment of a joint degree program between Texas A&M and Shanghai Jiao Tong universities. The work of the Chinese investigators is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

德克萨斯农工大学和上海交通大学中国合作，研究了为高效能量转换量身定做的磁性形状记忆合金(MSMA)的微结构设计。这些材料固有的热弹性耦合提供了一条基于收集否则浪费的机械功的大量节能装置的途径。随着磁性和电子耦合的增加，作为多热量材料的MSMA提供了许多转换为有用形式的能量的可能性。最近还表明，热弹性过程可用于制冷，与现有技术相比，理论效率提高很大。研究人员实施了一个全面的计划来研究MSMA中的磁-热-机械耦合。美国团队与中国团队合作，制造具有广泛可控微结构和取向(单晶、双晶、可控织构)的材料，并表征与颗粒尺寸、颗粒尺寸、体积分数、形态和织构相关的工艺参数和微结构特征的磁热机械行为。这与磁结构及其与微结构的耦合的详细特征相配对。总体目标是克服当前材料的缺点，例如，减少相变滞后，增加韧性，并改善驱动应力。一个重要的实用目标是实现基于可控凝固和微结构设计的廉价MSMA，从而为能量转换应用提供一个高效的平台。这项研究不仅促进了对多功能合金的基本认识，而且高效的MSMA可能会给固态冷却领域带来革命性的变化。教育福利包括美国学生参加上海交通大学的国际研究活动，上海交通大学是中国的领先材料研究大学之一，以及在德克萨斯农工大学和上海交通大学之间建立一个联合学位课程。中国调查人员的工作得到了中国国家自然科学基金的支持。