Betavoltaic batteries last up to twelve years without needing recharging. Historically the trade-off for this is a decrease in voltage output. This made these batteries good for remote electronics requiring low voltage and trickle re-charging systems. The low voltage output limited the devices in which they can be used. Technology Description:Researchers at the University of Missouri have overcome this low voltage problem and developed a high power betavoltaic battery source. This novel source has the potential to significantly extend the time between replacing batteries.
Electronics
-
Technology
-
Technology
This invention is an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method to fabricate layered thermally stable micro-patterned structures in fuel cells. This process enables precise control over the thickness and two dimensional geometry of a porous metal catalyst and current collectors. The technique also reduces manufacturing costs because it uses minimal materials for the thin film process. The geometry of the resulting structures improves fuel cell performance by reducing losses (ionic and electronic conduction) and operating temperature.
-
Technology
Dr. Connick and his students at the University of Cincinnati have developed a solid state anion sensor for the rapid on-site detection of water contaminants. This portable solid state anion sensor illuminates in the presence of anions detecting a little as 0.1 ppb. The sensor’s innovative material possesses exceptional chemical selectivity to incredibly difficult to detect anions such as perchlorate.
-
Technology
Problem: Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems generally exhibit extremely low power conversion efficiencies on the order of 1% or less mostly due to thermal emission of undesirable mid-wavelength infrared photons. The design of photonic crystals which have the potential to strongly suppress these losses is complex and generally present a non-convex design optimization problem. Technology: Solving the above problems requires efficient objective function evaluation as well as efficient global optimization algorithms.
-
Technology
Innovators at NASA\'s Johnson Space Center (JSC) have developed a method for efficiently controlling parasitic power in fuel cell systems. \"Parasitic power\"" refers to power required for internal system maintenance rather than for the system\\\'s primary purpose of net power output. Originally designed for spacecraft this novel method employs a single self-regulating control signal that does away with overly complex control strategies and external power controllers such as electronic power control units sensors and thermostatic controllers.
-
Technology
Lithium-ion battery technologies are ideal candidates to be deployed in electric vehicles and consumer electronics due to their electrochemical properties stability and low-cost. This technology showcases novel phosphate-based cathode materials with different morphologies and a methodology to develop them for various applications. By using appropriate low-cost phosphonate chelating agents with sol-gel synthesis methods phosphate-based materials of porous or hollow architectures can be manufactured.
-
Technology
Background: Distributed energy resources (DER) the combination of distributed power generators energy storage devices and renewable sources of energy are frequently located at customer sites where the energy resources are used. Small DER offer a promising alternative to meet the rapidly growing demand for more reliable power. When power demands spike individual DER units may respond by providing more energy to the system but may also cause problems with other DER units.
-
Technology
The market for organic electronic devices is growing rapidly. Global sales of organic LED display technology for example are projected to increase from over $1 billion in 2010 to more than $6 billion by 2016. Improving the efficiency of organic CMOS circuits will be critical to the continued success of this industry. Like silicon (i.e. non-organic) CMOS circuits organic CMOS circuits are based on complementary logic thus they use both p-type and n-type field-effect transistors.
-
Semiconductor Nanowire Devices for Photovoltaic Photodetection and Photoelectrochemical Applications
TechnologySemiconductor nanowires have been successfully utilized as building blocks for various electronic and photonic devices. In particular vertically aligned semiconductor nanowire arrays offer the potential of high photoconversion efficiency compared to that of thin film devices given the nanowire properties of enhanced light absorption improved carrier collection efficiency and reduced optical reflectance.
-
Technology
Conducting polymers are used in applications such as photovoltaic cells sensors and similar devices. The standard organic solar cells contain such polymers mixed with an organic or inorganic electron conducting phase along with metal oxides and a low work function metal. The commonly used polymers are polyacetylenes polyphenyleneethynylenes (PPE) polyphenylenevinylenes (PPV) polythiophenes and polyanilines. The polymers have different properties based on their organic structures and substituent groups.