SBIR Phase I: Ultra High Energy Density Nanocomposite Capacitors

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将通过使用一种独特的合成工艺来开发高能量密度和低损耗的纳米复合电容器薄膜，这些纳米线是以前未实现的这种形式的高纵横比纳米线。高功率电容器是一项关键的能源技术，但目前最先进的材料仅提供1.2J/cc的能量密度，并且在过去十年中仅有轻微的性能改善。提高电容器能量密度的一种方法是使用纳米复合材料，这种复合材料将高击穿强度的聚合物与高介电填料结合在一起。尽管从历史上看，纳米复合材料在高能量密度电容器中表现不佳，但HARP Engineering？S最近证明，纳米线填料可以改善整齐聚合物以外的性能，预计将生产出满足商业需求的材料，同时显著减小电容器尺寸。这些努力的目标将是生产高能量密度和低损耗的材料，使其满足目前商业化的需求。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力在于开发高功率电容器，这构成了电力逆变器、智能电网、电力驱动车辆和脉冲功率系统的关键技术。然而，目前的技术水平存在能量密度低的问题，这使得它们体积庞大、价格昂贵。这项小型企业创新研究工作将寻求通过使用纳米复合材料来消除当前材料的低能量密度，这种复合材料利用高纵横比填料来创造优于整洁聚合物的性能。这一研究结果也将有助于更好地理解介电纳米复合材料中的结构和性质关系，并将促进纳米线的加工科学。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop nanocomposite capacitor films with high energy density and low loss through the use of a unique synthesis process for high aspect ratio nanowires of previously unrealized compositions in this form. High power capacitors are a critical energy technology, yet current state of the art materials only offer an energy density of 1.2 J/cc and have seen only marginal performance gains in the past decade. One method to increase the energy density of the capacitor is through the use of nanocomposite that combines high breakdown strength polymers with high dielectric fillers. Although historically nanocomposites have performed poorly in high energy density capacitors, HARP Engineering?s recent demonstration that nanowire fillers can improve the performance beyond the neat polymer is expected to produce materials that meet commercial demands while significantly reducing the capacitor size. The goal of these efforts will be to produce high energy density materials with low loss such that they meet the current demands for commercialization. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project lie in the development of high power capacitors which form a critical technology for power inverters, smart grids, electric drive vehicles and pulsed power systems. However the current state of the art suffers from low energy density making them bulky and costly. This Small Business Innovation Research effort will seek to eliminate the low energy density of current materials through the use of nanocomposites that capitalize on high aspect ratio fillers to create superior performance to the neat polymer. The result of this research will also provide improved understanding of the structure property relationships in dielectric nanocomposites and will advance the processing science of nanowires.