Phys.org November 21, 2024 Thermophotovoltaics (TPV) is promising for thermal storage and generation. TPV systems employing selective thermal emitters allow compact designs for various terrestrial and space applications, but these systems have low efficiency. The selective thermal emitter and the low-bandgap photovoltaic cell contribute to this problem. Researchers at Rice University solved the shortcomings of the thermal emitter by using a novel approach based on non-Hermitian optics. They demonstrated a hybrid metal-dielectric non-Hermitian selective emitter (NHE) with high spectral efficiency and employed the NHE in a TPV system operating at 1273 K. They showed that a maximum TPV conversion efficiency of […]
Tag Archives: Energy conversion
Magnetic fields boost clean energy
Nanowerk April 7, 2024 Magnetic field effects on electrocatalysis have recently gained attention due to the substantial enhancement of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on ferromagnetic catalysts. An international team of researchers (Switzerland, Argentina) used a specifically designed magneto-electrochemical system and non-magnetic electrodes to quantify magnetic field effects. They found marginal enhancement in reactions with high reactant availability, such as the OER, whereas substantial boosts exceeding 50% were observed in diffusion limited reactions, exemplified by the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). According to the researchers their results advanced the fundamental understanding of magnetic fields in electrocatalysis and unveil new prospects for […]
The powerhouse of the future: Artificial cells
Phys.org March 28, 2023 Sustainable energy conversion modules are the main challenges for building complex reaction cascades in artificial cells. Recent advances in biotechnology have enabled this sustainable energy supply, especially the adenosine triphosphate (ATP), by mimicking the organelles, which are the core structures for energy conversion in living cells. Three components are mainly shared by the artificial organelles: the membrane compartment separating the inner and outer parts, membrane proteins for proton translocation, and the molecular rotary machine for ATP synthesis. Depending on the initiation factors, they are further categorized into artificial mitochondrion and artificial chloroplasts, which use chemical nutrients […]
Energetic ferroelectrics
Nanowerk October 14, 2021 A team of researchers in the US (SUNY Buffalo, University of Maryland, US Army Aberdeen Proving Ground) tested if two dissimilar materials – molecular energetic materials and ferroelectrics – can be combined to obtain a chemically driven electrical energy source with high-power density. They designed energetic molecular ferroelectrics consisting of imidazolium cations (energetic ion) and perchlorate anions (oxidizer) and described its thermal wave energy conversion with a specific power of 1.8 kW kg−1. They showed that chemically driven energy generator is a result of the coupling between energetic thermal and shock waves and a pyroelectric effect in molecular […]