I-Corps: Multi-Dimensional Electromagnetic Energy Convertor

这个i-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种三维电磁能量转换器(EMEC)，以满足许多应用对高单位面积功率输出的未得到满足的需求。EMEC的输出功率比现有的商用太阳能电池板高得多，这使得EMEC模块特别适用于交通应用。运输业对化石燃料的依赖贡献了全球约15%的温室气体排放。电动汽车(EV)是零排放的，但通常依靠化石燃料产生的能量充电。电动汽车有限的电力存储能力，因此有限的运行里程，仍然是采用的主要挑战之一。电动汽车的太阳能充电可以增加汽车的行驶里程，同时减少对化石燃料的依赖。不幸的是，商用太阳能电池板由于其低功率密度和令人望而却步的大尺寸而不能满足交通行业的要求，但EMEC很可能适合这一应用。EMEC有潜力为更可持续的零排放运输业提供动力。I-Corps项目将使我们能够验证这些假设。i-Corps项目基于三维电磁能量转换器(EMEC)的开发，非常适合需要高功率输出的应用，如移动交通系统和离网发电。根据国家可再生能源实验室(NREL)的数据，由于制造自动化和广泛采用，商用太阳能电池板的总成本在过去十年里稳步下降。由于商用太阳能电池板的功率输出与其有效集光面积成正比，目前的商用太阳能电池板由大片薄片的光伏电池组成。该解决方案已被广泛接受，特别是用于安装在太阳能发电场和单户屋顶上。然而，这些笨重的太阳能电池板通常无法为空间有限的应用提供足够的能量，例如在城市环境和交通工具中。柔性太阳能电池板更适合移动应用，但它们也需要大片区域来收集能量。这项拟议的技术使用了一个三维系统，其功率密度比现有的商业太阳能电池板要大得多。该系统紧凑和模块化的架构有可能增加功率输出并降低与太阳能电池板安装相关的前期成本。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a three-dimensional electromagnetic energy convertor (EMEC) to address the unmet need of many applications for high power output per occupied area. EMEC reaches significantly higher power output than existing commercial solar panels making the EMEC modules particularly suitable for transportation applications. The reliance of the transportation industry on fossil fuels contributes to ~15% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Electric vehicles (EV) are emission-free, but usually rely on energy generated by fossil fuels for charging. EV’s limited power storage capability and, therefore, limited operational range, remains one of the main challenges to adoption. Solar charging of EVs can increase the vehicles’ operational range while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Unfortunately, commercial solar panels do not meet the transportation industry requirements because of their low power density and prohibitively large form factor, but EMEC is likely suitable for this application. EMEC has the potential to empower a more sustainable emissions-free transportation industry. The I-Corps project will allow us to test these hypotheses.This I-Corps project is based on the development of a three-dimensional electromagnetic energy convertor (EMEC) ideal for applications that require high power output such as mobile transportation systems and off-grid power generation. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the overall cost of commercial solar panels has declined steadily over the past decade thanks to manufacturing automation and broad adoption. Since the power output of commercial solar panels is directly proportional to their effective light collection area, current commercial solar panels consist of large thin sheets of photovoltaic cells. This solution has been accepted widely, particularly for installation in solar farms and single home rooftops. However, these bulky solar panels have failed generally to deliver enough energy for applications where space is limited, such as in urban environments and transportation vehicles. Flexible solar panels are better for mobile applications, but they also require large areas for energy collection. The proposed technology uses a three-dimensional system whose power density is significantly larger than that of existing commercial solar panels. The compact and modular architecture of this system has the potential to increase the power output and decrease the upfront costs associated with solar panel installations.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.