Electromagnetic Force Assisted Centrifugal Nanocasting for Manufacturing Thermoelectric Energy Conversion Composite Materials

该奖项支持电磁力辅助离心铸造的基础研究，以开发快速，可扩展和低成本的制造工艺，用于制造高性能热电能量转换复合材料。具体而言，该研究将开发一种基于物理的预测模型，用于使用新设计的旋转机器离心铸造含热电纳米颗粒的半导体聚合物中的耦合电磁力和机械力，并进行实验以验证该模型，测试假设将纳米级热电组件纳入聚合物以形成复杂的复合结构将显着提高能量转换性能，评估电磁力辅助离心铸造法制备含多层聚合物/氧化物纳米管的热电能量转换纳米材料的可行性，建立能量转换行为与制备条件之间的关系，研究结果将为满足国家能源挑战的关键需求提供知识和理解。具有全球竞争力的能源制造业将为国家经济做出贡献。具有更高能量转换效率和更低制造成本的热电单元将使消费者和社会受益。研究结果亦有助提升本科生在自学及高级顶点设计等课程的学习。将在加州州立理工大学-波莫纳分校（一所为少数群体服务的机构）培训研究生，并在当地高中开展外联活动，以激发少数群体学生对能源可持续性领域的兴趣。

This award supports fundamental research on electromagnetic force assisted centrifugal casting in order to develop a fast, scalable and low cost manufacturing process for making high performance thermoelectric energy conversion composite materials. Specifically, the research will develop a physics-based predictive model for coupled electromagnetic and mechanical forces in centrifugal casting thermoelectric nanoparticle-containing semiconducting polymers with a newly designed rotary machine and conduct experiments to verify the model, test the hypothesis that incorporating nanoscale thermoelectric components into polymers to form complex composite structures will significantly enhance the energy conversion performance, evaluate the feasibility of using electromagnetic force assisted centrifugal casting to make thermoelectric energy conversion nanomaterials containing multilayer polymer/oxide nanotubes, establish the relationship between the energy conversion behavior and manufacturing conditions.Research results will provide knowledge and understanding to meet the critical need of energy challenge for the nation. A globally competitive energy manufacturing industry will contribute to the nation's economy. Thermoelectric units with higher energy conversion efficiency and lower manufacturing cost will benefit consumers and the society. Research results will also enhance undergraduate students' learning in such courses as Independent Study and Senior Capstone Design. Training graduate students at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, a minority-serving institution, and outreaching to local high schools will be carried out to stimulate the interest of minority students in the field of energy sustainability.