Search results for " Energy Conversion"

Atomic Layer Deposition of Spinel Lithium Manganese Oxide by Film-Body-Controlled Lithium Incorporation for Thin-Film Lithium-Ion Batteries

2013

Lithium manganese oxide spinels are promising candidate materials for thin-film lithium-ion batteries owing to their high voltage, high specific capacity for storage of electrochemical energy, and minimal structural changes during battery operation. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) offers many benefits for preparing all-solid-state thin-film batteries, including excellent conformity and thickness control of the films. Yet, the number of available lithium-containing electrode materials obtained by ALD is limited. In this article, we demonstrate the ALD of lithium manganese oxide, LixMn2O4, from Mn(thd)3, Li(thd), and ozone. Films were polycrystalline in their as-deposited state and contained le…

Size-dependent electron transfer from atomically defined nanographenes to metal oxide nanoparticles.

2020

Atomically defined nanographenes (NGs) feature size-dependent energy gaps induced by, and tuneable through, quantum confinement. Their energy-tunability and robustness make NGs appealing candidates as active elements in sensitized geometries, where NGs functionalize a metal oxide (MO) film with large-area-to-volume ratio. Despite the prominent relevance of NG/MO interfaces for developing novel architectures for solar energy conversion, to date, little information is available regarding the fundamentals of electron transfer (ET) processes taking place from NG donors to MO acceptors. Here, we analyze the interplay between the size of atomically precise NGs and ET dynamics at NG/MO interfaces.…

Design, assembly and characterization of silicide-based thermoelectric modules

2016

ID: 1143 In: Energy conversion and management, 13-21. Summary: Highlights•Novel silicide-based thermoelectric modules were experimentally investigated.•The modules produced high power of 1.04 W at 405 °C and 3.24 W at 735 °C.•An estimated module efficiency of 5.3% represent the highest reported for silicide systems.AbstractSilicides have attracted considerable attention for use in thermoelectric generators due mainly to low cost, low toxicity and light weight, in contrast to conventional materials such as bismuth and lead telluride. Most reported work has focused on optimizing the materials properties while little has been done on module testing. In this work we have designed and tested mod…

Sustainability of the Renewable Energy Extraction Close to the Mediterranean Islands

2017

The aim of this work is to explore the possibility of transitioning a fuel powered island to a renewable powered one. This transition is analyzed for the real MV/LV distribution system of the island of Pantelleria, in the Mediterranean Sea. Particularly, this work is focused on a renewable source nowadays totally unused: wave energy. Thanks to the innovative generator prototype designed by Department of Energy of University of Palermo (Italy), wave energy is able to represent a primary source for the production of electric energy in the Mediterranean islands. The procedures applied in the present article, as well as the main equations used, are the result of previous applications made in di…

A multiphysics approach to the design of a seawave energy conversion system

2008

This paper presents a multiphysics approach to the design of a seawave energy conversion system which consists of a both a permanent magnet linear generator directly coupled to sea waves and the related power electronics conversion system. The thermal, electromagnetic and circuital aspects are included in the proposed approach. In order to maximize energy extraction, the stochastic features of the energy source is considered in the mathematical model of the whole system. An optimization procedures which includes the stochastic features of the model is presented and a machine built on the basis of the results of this procedure is shown.

Electrochemical energy storage mitigating impact of electric vehicle on the electric grid: Two Italian case studies

2017

In the framework of the Italian R&D project i-Next two pilots plants were realized aiming at demonstrate benefits coming from the adoption of electrochemical energy storages (Lithium ion batteries and hydrogen) integrated with renewable energy sources. In the present study the preliminary results coming from the demo sites operations are reported paying attention to the impacts to the grid.

Experimental Test and Simulations on a Linear Generator-Based Prototype of a Wave Energy Conversion System Designed with a Reliability-Oriented Appro…

2017

In this paper, we propose a reliability-oriented design of a linear generator-based prototype of a wave energy conversion (WEC), useful for the production of hydrogen in a sheltered water area like Mediterranean Sea. The hydrogen production has been confirmed by a lot of experimental testing and simulations. The system design is aimed to enhance the robustness and reliability and is based on an analysis of the main WEC failures reported in literature. The results of this analysis led to some improvements that are applied to a WEC system prototype for hydrogen production and storage. The proposed WEC system includes the electrical linear generator, the power conversion system, and a sea-wate…

INNOVATIVE APPLICATIONS OF EXERGY ANALYSIS AND THERMOECONOMICS IN CHEMICAL, THERMAL AND COOLING ENERGY CONVERSION SYSTEMS

Since 70s, the world has been becoming more and more concerned about energy and environmental issues. The need of meeting the current energy demand by guaranteeing the ability of future generation to satisfy theirs have been pushing research not only to exploit alternative energy sources such as renewable energies, but also to improve the efficiency of energy conversion systems. To this regard, developing systems that use efficiently energy is of paramount importance especially in those countries which rely on non-renewable energy sources such as oil, natural gas, and coal. In fact, the reduction of energy consumption will lead not only to the saving of unrestorable and limited energy resou…

Impact of Surface Charge Directionality on Membrane Potential in Multi-ionic Systems

2020

The membrane potential (Vmem), defined as the electric potential difference across a membrane flanked by two different salt solutions, is central to electrochemical energy harvesting and conversion. Also, Vmem and the ionic concentrations that establish it are important to biophysical chemistry because they regulate crucial cell processes. We study experimentally and theoretically the salt dependence of Vmem in single conical nanopores for the case of multi-ionic systems of different ionic charge numbers. The major advances of this work are (i) to measure Vmem using a series of ions (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Cl-, and SO42-) that are of interest to both energy conversion and cell biochemistry, (ii) to…

On the Phase Separation in n-Type Thermoelectric Half-Heusler Materials

2018

Half-Heusler compounds have been in focus as potential materials for thermoelectric energy conversion in the mid-temperature range, e.g., as in automotive or industrial waste heat recovery, for more than ten years now. Because of their mechanical and thermal stability, these compounds are advantageous for common thermoelectric materials such as Bi 2 Te 3 , SiGe, clathrates or filled skutterudites. A further advantage lies in the tunability of Heusler compounds, allowing one to avoid expensive and toxic elements. Half-Heusler compounds usually exhibit a high electrical conductivity σ , resulting in high power factors. The main drawback of half-Heusler compounds is their high lattice th…