Fundamental Study of Interaction of Ions Present in Water with Graphene Coatings for Energy Harvesting

水中存在的离子与石墨烯涂层相互作用的基础研究用于能量收集

• 批准号: 2002742
• 负责人: Nikhil Koratkar
• 金额: $ 31.73万
• 依托单位: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-09-01 至 2024-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2002742&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Fundamental; Study; Interaction; Ions; Present

This project will investigate an approach to energy harvesting based on the interaction of a fluid such as water with a graphene surface. Graphene is a highly flexible, two-dimensional sheet of carbon atoms and is ideally suited for the coating of large surfaces. This project aims to demonstrate that water flow over graphene surfaces can directly generate electricity. Graphene is ideally suited for this application, since it possesses high-mobility charge carriers that are ready to be coupled to moving ions present in the flowing fluid. Graphene is also flexible, minimally invasive (it is the thinnest material), chemically and mechanically stable, and environmentally benign. Moreover, its synthesis is scalable and macro-scale continuous graphene films can be produced by roll-to-roll deposition techniques. The proposed graphene coating offers unique possibilities for energy harvesting from hitherto untapped renewable sources such as rain, tidal action, waves, ocean currents, river water as well as water flow over boats, submarines, and bridges. Such graphene skins could enable harvesting of the ubiquitous, abundant and renewable mechanical energy of moving water directly to electrical energy. Unlike traditional schemes, the graphene coating directly converts the flow energy into electrical energy without the need for moving parts. Such graphene coatings could also replace conventional batteries (which are environmentally hazardous) in low-power, low-voltage and long service-life applications. Once scaled up, this concept offers a potentially transformative approach to energy harvesting, as compared with incremental advances in current technologies. The investigators will develop specially designed interactive learning modules (or virtual labs) which will be integrated into the curriculum. Outreach includes demonstrations to undergraduates as well as to high school students and teachers. The PIs aim is to popularize science and to attract under-represented groups to pursue careers in renewable energy technologies. This project will tackle the fundamental science and engineering challenges associated with developing graphene-based coatings for nano-fluidic power harvesting. The key science challenge involves understanding in-depth the mechanism(s) responsible for nano-fluidic power harvesting in graphene films. In particular, the project aims to develop a fundamental understanding of how ions present in a fluid such as water, interact and couple with graphene-coated as well as free-standing graphene surfaces. This will be addressed using carefully designed control experiments in conjunction with molecular dynamics and first principles density functional theory calculations. The engineering challenge is equally important and involves scaling up the graphene size in a manner that retains the outstanding power density of the coating. This will be addressed by adapting newly developed roll-to-roll and template-directed chemical vapor deposition techniques to produce macroscale graphene films and foams. The graphene manufacturing process will be optimized to avoid physical interfaces (breaks) in the film as it is scaled up to macroscale dimensions and to tightly control thickness and structure-properties of the graphene. The coupling between experiments and theory, modeling and simulation work will build fundamental understanding of the underlying science and enable successful development, optimization and validation of the proposed technology. The PIs will develop specially designed interactive learning modules (or virtual labs) which will be integrated into the curriculum. Outreach includes demonstrations to undergraduates as well as to high school students and teachers. The PIs aim is to popularize science and to attract under-represented groups to pursue careers in renewable energy technologies.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目将研究一种基于水等流体与石墨烯表面相互作用的能量收集方法。石墨烯是一种高度柔性的二维碳原子片，非常适合大表面的涂层。该项目旨在证明石墨烯表面的水流可以直接发电。石墨烯非常适合这种应用，因为它具有高迁移率的电荷载体，可以与流动流体中的移动离子耦合。石墨烯也是灵活的，微创的（它是最薄的材料），化学和机械稳定，环境友好。此外，它的合成是可扩展的，并且可以通过卷对卷沉积技术生产宏观尺度的连续石墨烯膜。所提出的石墨烯涂层提供了从迄今为止未开发的可再生能源中收集能量的独特可能性，例如雨水，潮汐作用，波浪，洋流，河水以及船只，潜艇和桥梁上的水流。这样的石墨烯表皮可以使无处不在的，丰富的和可再生的机械能直接将水转化为电能。与传统方案不同，石墨烯涂层直接将流动能量转化为电能，而不需要移动部件。这种石墨烯涂层还可以在低功率、低电压和长使用寿命应用中取代传统电池（对环境有害）。一旦扩大规模，与当前技术的渐进式进步相比，这一概念为能源收集提供了一种潜在的变革性方法。研究人员将开发专门设计的互动学习模块（或虚拟实验室），这些模块将被整合到课程中。外联活动包括向本科生以及高中学生和教师进行示范。PI的目的是普及科学，吸引代表性不足的群体从事可再生能源技术的职业。 该项目将解决与开发用于纳米流体动力收集的石墨烯涂层相关的基础科学和工程挑战。关键的科学挑战涉及深入了解石墨烯薄膜中纳米流体能量收集的机制。特别是，该项目旨在对水等流体中存在的离子如何与石墨烯涂层以及独立石墨烯表面相互作用和耦合进行基本了解。这将使用精心设计的控制实验结合分子动力学和第一性原理密度泛函理论计算来解决。 工程挑战同样重要，涉及以保持涂层出色功率密度的方式按比例放大石墨烯尺寸。这将通过调整新开发的卷对卷和模板导向化学气相沉积技术来生产宏观尺度的石墨烯薄膜和泡沫来解决。石墨烯制造工艺将进行优化，以避免薄膜中的物理界面（断裂），因为它被放大到宏观尺度，并严格控制石墨烯的厚度和结构特性。实验与理论、建模和仿真工作之间的耦合将建立对基础科学的基本理解，并使所提出的技术能够成功开发、优化和验证。 PI将开发专门设计的互动学习模块（或虚拟实验室），这些模块将被整合到课程中。外联活动包括向本科生以及高中学生和教师进行示范。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。