CAREER: Low Temperature Microplasmas For Thermal Energy Conversion, Education, and Outreach

职业摘要：用于热能转换、教育和户外的低温微等离子体热离子能量转换(TEC)是通过从非常热的表面发出热(热离子)电子将热能直接转换为电能。虽然在历史上主要是在空间应用中利用核能发电，但它有可能被用于余热、太阳能或核能的转化。然而，为了实现这一目标，必须增强TEC，使其在比历史上可能的温度更低的情况下更有效地运行。当微等离子体(电离气体)在电极间距约1-20微米的热离子二极管之间被点燃时，微等离子体热离子能量转换发生。这种工作模式可以在惰性气体中、在接近大气压的情况下、在较低的温度下工作，这些都是实际地面应用所必需的特征。这一研究将促进对热电子发射与微等离子体之间基本相互作用的理解，为微等离子体-TEC器件的研究铺平道路。第一原理理论和模拟将被用来揭示微等离子体和热离子发射之间的相互依赖，实验将被用来证实微等离子体对热电子发射的增强是实现提高能量转换效率所必需的。碳基电极，包括钻石和碳管，将使用微等离子体喷射处理技术合成，并用作微等离子体-TEC实验的电极。除了这项研究建立的微等离子体-TEC的有效性外，基础研究还将促进对等离子体/电去耦合的基本理解，在这一领域存在着影响从高强度放电灯到弧基材料沉积的各种技术的持续存在的问题。直接热能到电能的转换可以用于将太阳能、核能和废热转化为电能，能源转换技术将在创建一个更节能和更独立的国家方面发挥重要作用。这项研究的发现将为实用的地面TEC设备奠定基础，这些设备可能成为能源经济的重要组成部分，极大地影响美国的能源安全。此外，来自少数族裔的本科生将在职业生涯早期从事这项研究，创造更有效的本科生研究经验，并增加获得理科和工程学毕业学位的人数。使用服务学习的方法，这些本科生将在社区中领导对当地K-8你的外展，包括为社区范围的科学节创建一个等离子展览，以及为中学生创建一个有针对性的、互动的环境科学外展项目。这些本科生将接触到外展的满足性，并激励大量K-8年轻人走向科学和工程，创造一个永续的教育循环，在这个循环中，每一代人都会培养下一代的灵感、兴奋和发展。

CAREER Abstract:Low Temperature Microplasmas For Thermal Energy Conversion, Education, and OutreachThermionic energy conversion (TEC) is the direct conversion of heat to electricity by the thermal(thermionic) emission of electrons from a very hot surface. Though historically pursued primarilyfor electricity production from nuclear sources in space applications, it has the potential to be usedterrestrially for waste heat, solar, or nuclear energy conversion. To meet this objective, however,TEC must be enhanced to operate more efficiently at lower temperatures than historically possible.Microplasma thermionic energy conversion occurs when a microplasma (ionized gas) is ignitedbetween a thermionic diode with an electrode spacing ~1-20 micrometers. This mode of operationcould enable operation in inert gases, at near atmospheric pressures, and at lower temperatures - allnecessary features for practical terrestrial application. Understanding of the fundamental interactionbetween thermionic emission and microplasmas will be advanced by this research in order to pavethe way for microplasma-TEC devices. First principles theory and simulations will be used to revealthe inter-dependence between a microplasma and thermionic emission, and experiments will beconducted to confirm the enhancement of thermionic emission by a microplasma necessary to realizeimproved energy conversion efficiency. Carbon-based electrodes, including diamond and carbonnanotubes, will be synthesized using a microplasma jet processing technique and used as electrodesin microplasma-TEC experiments. In addition to the efficacy of microplasma-TEC being establishedby this research, fundamental studies will also advance the basic understanding of plasma/electrodecoupling, where there are persistent questions that affect a wide variety of technologies from highintensitydischarge lamps to arc-based materials deposition.Direct thermal-to-electrical energy conversion can be used to convert solar, nuclear, and waste heatto electricity, and energy conversion technologies will play an important role in creating a moreenergy efficient and independent nation. The discoveries made by this research will lay thefoundation for practical, terrestrial TEC devices that could become an essential part of the energyeconomy, greatly impacting energy security in the United States. Further, undergraduate studentsfrom underrepresented minorities will be engaged in this research early in their careers, creating amore effective undergraduate research experience and increasing the number that achieve graduatescience and engineering degrees. Using a service-learning approach, outreach to the local K-8 youthin the community will be led by these undergraduates including the creation of a plasma exhibit for acommunity-wide science festival and a targeted, interactive outreach program on environmentalscience for middle school students. These undergraduate students will be exposed to the fulfillingnature of outreach and also inspire a large number of K-8 youth toward science and engineering,creating a perpetuating educational cycle in which each generation fosters the inspiration,excitement, and development of the next generation.