EAGER: Simultaneously Controlling Multi-Scale Material Structures Based on Fluid Layering With Self-Assembly and Eutectic Growth

EAGER：基于自组装和共晶生长的流体分层同时控制多尺度材料结构

• 批准号: 1353156
• 负责人: Choongho Yu
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-09-01 至 2016-02-29
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1353156&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EAGER; Simultaneously; Controlling; Multi; Scale

This EArly-concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) project is to develop high performance bulk thermoelectric materials by manipulating their structures at the meso-, micro-, and nano-scale. Achieving a broad range of length scales in the structure of thermoelectric materials is expected to maximize phonon scattering, which will in turn maximize the performance of thermoelectric materials due to the depletion of phononic (or lattice) thermal conduction. Here, the novel idea is to utilize continuum-level fluid mechanics (layering technique) for designing meso/micro-scale structures while creating micro/nano-scale structures with self-assembly and eutectic growth. Through meso-/micro-scale layering and structuring with liquid phase precursors, the size and distribution of nanoparticle inoculants will be manipulated to control the heterogeneous nucleation and solid phase formation at micro-/nano-scales. This new out-of-the-box but high-risk approach integrating fluid mechanics into materials science/engineering will provide new insight and research direction. Thermoelectric energy conversion systems offer an excellent strategy for improving sustainability of our electric power base by scavenging waste heat from various power consuming systems including automobiles and power plants or for providing effective compact cooling for computers and electronic devices with robustness and silence. The research will provide rational and novel methodologies of improving their efficiency by modifying material structures. In addition, research outcomes include crucial knowledge for fully utilizing nanoparticles by solving one of the major hurdles, nanoparticle aggregation. This new approach combining continuum level fluid mechanics and controlling structures down to nanoscale related to material science/engineering may bring subsequent research related to rational design of multi-scale structured materials. The research also include training of Ph.D students with experience in interdisciplinary collaborative research; broadening participation of undergraduate students belonging to underrepresented groups through the NSF-funded Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation at Texas A&M University and the Center for Enhancement of Engineering Diversity at Virgina Tech; and integrating nanoscale thermal transport phenomena into undergraduate/graduate courses.

这个探索性研究（EAGER）项目的早期概念资助是通过在中、微和纳米尺度上操纵其结构来开发高性能的大块热电材料。在热电材料的结构中实现广泛的长度尺度有望最大限度地提高声子散射，这反过来又将最大限度地提高热电材料的性能，因为声子（或晶格）热传导的损耗。在这里，新颖的想法是利用连续级流体力学（分层技术）来设计中/微尺度结构，同时创建具有自组装和共晶生长的微/纳米尺度结构。通过中/微尺度的液相前驱体分层和结构，控制纳米颗粒孕育剂的尺寸和分布，控制微/纳米尺度的非均相成核和固相形成。这种将流体力学与材料科学/工程相结合的新颖但高风险的方法将提供新的见解和研究方向。热电能量转换系统通过清除来自各种电力消耗系统（包括汽车和发电厂）的废热，为提高我们电力基础的可持续性提供了一种极好的策略，或者为计算机和电子设备提供有效的紧凑冷却，具有坚固性和静音性。该研究将为通过改变材料结构来提高其效率提供合理和新颖的方法。此外，研究成果还包括通过解决纳米颗粒聚集这一主要障碍来充分利用纳米颗粒的关键知识。这种将连续流体力学与材料科学/工程相关的纳米级控制结构相结合的新方法，可能会带来与多尺度结构材料合理设计相关的后续研究。该研究还包括培养具有跨学科合作研究经验的博士生；通过美国国家科学基金会资助的德克萨斯农工大学路易斯·斯托克斯少数民族参与联盟和弗吉尼亚理工大学工程多样性增强中心，扩大代表性不足群体的本科生的参与；并将纳米级热输运现象整合到本科/研究生课程中。