0000000000174381
AUTHOR
Tony Pereira
The performance of thin-film Li-ion batteries under flexural deflection
A method is introduced to study the effects of flexural deformation on the electrical performance of thin-film lithium-ion batteries. Flexural deformation of thin films is of interest to engineers for applications that can be effective in conformal spaces in conjunction with multi-functional composite laminates in structural members under mechanical deflections such as thin airfoils used in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A test fixture was designed and built using rapid prototyping techniques. A baseline reference charge/discharge cycle was initially obtained with the device in its un-flexed state, in order to later contrast the performance of the thin-film battery when subjected to defle…
CuO nanoparticle filled vinyl-ester resin nanocomposites: Fabrication, characterization and property analysis
Abstract Both unmodified cupric oxide (CuO) nanoparticles and those functionalized with a bi-functional coupling agent methacryloxypropyl-trimethoxysilane (MPS) were used to fabricate vinyl-ester resin polymeric nanocomposites. The nanoparticle functionalization was observed to have a significant effect on the physical properties of the cupric oxide filled vinyl-ester resin nanocomposite. Thermal degradation study by thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) showed the increased thermo-stability in the functionalized-nanoparticle-filled vinyl-ester resin nanocomposites as compared with the unmodified-nanoparticle-filled counterparts. The more uniform particle dispersion and the chemical bond betwee…
Particle surface engineering effect on the mechanical, optical and photoluminescent properties of ZnO/vinyl-ester resin nanocomposites
Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles functionalized with a bi-functional coupling agent methacryloxypropyl-trimethoxysilane (MPS) were used to fabricate a vinyl-ester resin polymeric nanocomposite, which shows an improved interfacial interaction between the particle and matrix. As a result, in comparison to the unmodified particle-filled nanocomposites, the functionalized particle-filled composites possessed higher resistance to thermal degradation, and demonstrated improved UV shielding and enhanced photoluminescent properties. The more uniform particle dispersion, passivation of the particle surface with MPS and increased oxygen vacancies were justified to contribute to the increased thermal st…
Performance of Thin-Film Lithium Energy Cells under Uniaxial Pressure
The objective of this study was two-fold. The first objective was to determine if the all-solid-state thin-film lithium energy cells could withstand the minimal 550 kPa uniaxial pressure required for composite manufacturing, which both specimens successfully did. The second objective was to determine the upper boundary uniaxial pressure limit of operation for the all-solid-state thin-film lithium energy cells. The two all-solid- state thin-film lithium energy cells tested in the present study under uniaxial pressure performed well even when subjected to uniaxial pressures up to about 2.0 MPa. However, pressures higher than this value led to their degradation. The observed degradation was du…