Nano-Energy Applications Part I Wade Adams, Ph.D. Director Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology Rice University 1

Nano-Energy ApplicationsPart I

Wade Adams, Ph.D.

DirectorRichard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale

Science and TechnologyRice University

1

• Why is Energy Important Today?

• Overview of Energy

• Why Nanotechnology is Essential for Meeting Energy Needs

• Nanotech Energy Challenges

• Greenhouse Gases/Global Warming

• Efficiency

• Fossil Fuels

• Hydrogen

• Nuclear Power

• Fusion Energy

Topics

2

Why is Energy Important Today?Humanity’s Top Ten Problems over Next 50 Years:

1. Energy

2. Water

3. Food

4. Environment

5. Poverty

6. Terrorism and War

7. Disease

8. Education

9. Democracy

10. Population2003: 6.5 Billion People2050: 8-10 Billion People

Figure 6.1: Photo of Earth.

3

Figure 6.2a: World power usage in terawatts.

World Power Consumption for 2005

Overview of Energy

Figure 6.2b: Global power usage in successive detail.

4

Figure 6.3: World production forecast Made by Khebab of The Oil Drum. (December 2006)

Peak Oil?!

5

Overview of Energy, Continued


Figure 6.4: World Marketed Energy Consumption, 1980-2030.

Global Energy Demand Growth

6

826

1,286

2050

2100

• World population now is 6B; in 2050, 10B?

Figure 6.5: World energy consumption (Quads).

Projected World Energy Consumption


7

Projected World Energy Consumption by Region

Figure 6.6a: World energy consumption by region (Quads).

Figure 6.6b: World regions.

Figure 6.6c: Energy consumption.


8


Figure 6.7: GNP versus Energy Consumption.

Energy Use Correlates with National Prosperity

9

World Energy Supply and Demand

Figure 6.8: Estimates of 21st Century world energy supplies.


10

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

0.5%

Source: Internatinal Energy Agency

2003

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50 2050

Energy Revolution: The Terawatt Challenge

200314 Terawatts

210 M BOE/day

205030 – 60 Terawatts

450 – 900 M BOE/day

Figure 6.9: The basis of prosperity.


11

United States Energy Perspective

Figure 6.10: Total world oil reserves.


12

U.S. and World Energy Consumption Today.

Figure 6.11: Equivalent ways of referring to energy used by the U.S. in 1 year (approx. 100 Quads):

100.0 quadrillion British Thermal Units (Quads) U.S. and British unit of energy

105.5 exa Joules (EJ) Metric unit of energy

3.346 terawatt-years (TW-yr) Metric unit of power (energy/sec)x(#seconds in a year)

412 Quads

98 Quads

U.S. Share of World, 2002


13

U.S. Energy Flow• 34% of U.S. primary energy is imported.

Ene

rgy

Sou

rces

Ene

rgy

Con

sum

ptio

n S

ecto

rs

Figure 6.12: U.S. Energy Flow, 2006 (Quadrillion Btu ).


14

U.S. Energy Flow, 2006, Continued

85% of primary energy is from fossil fuels; 8% is from nuclear; 6% is from renewables. Most imported energy is petroleum, which is used for transportation. End-use sectors (residential, commercial, industrial, transportation) all use comparable amounts of energy.

Figure 6.13: U.S. breakdown of energy flow.


15

Vik Rao, CTO of Halliburton:

• “The debate is no longer about producing enough energy to meet demand, but about producing hydrocarbons and energy in a sustainable manner. At the same time, it is also about producing more environmentally friendly fluids for transportation and power.”

Why Nanotechnology is Essential for Meeting Our Energy Needs

16

R.E. Smalley, 2003:

• Actions involving energy occur at the nanometer level.

- Harvesting

- Transformation

- Transport

- Use

• Improvements will be made most effectively at the same scale.

Why Nanotechnology is Essential for Meeting Our Energy Needs, Continued

17

Nanotech Energy Challenges• Photovoltaics – drop cost by 100 fold.

• Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to methanol.

• Direct Photoconversion of light + water to produce H2.

• Fuel Cells – drop the cost by 10-100x + low temp start.

• Batteries and Supercapacitors – improve by 10-100x for automotive and distributed generation applications.

• H2 storage – light-weight materials for pressure tanks and LH2 vessels, and/or a new light-weight, easily reversible hydrogen chemisorption system.

• Power Cables (superconductors or quantum conductors) to rewire electrical transmission grid and enable continental, even worldwide, electrical energy transport; to replace aluminum and copper wires essentially everywhere – particularly in the windings of electric motors and generators (especially good if eliminate eddy current losses).

18

• Nanoelectronics to revolutionize computers, sensors, and devices.

• Nanoelectronics-Based Robotics with AI to enable construction maintenance of solar structures in space and on moon; to enable nuclear reactor maintenance and fuel reprocessing.

• Super-Strong, Light-Weight Materials to drop cost to LEO, GEO, and the moon by > 100 x; to enable huge, but low cost light harvesting structures in space; to improve efficiency of cars, planes, etc.

• Thermochemical Processes with catalysts to generate H2 from water that work efficiently at temperatures lower than 900 C.

• Nanotech Lighting to replace incandescent and fluorescent lights.

• Nanomaterials/Coatings to enable vastly lower cost of deep drilling; to enable HDR (hot dry rock) geothermal heat mining.

• CO2 Mineralization schemes that can work on a vast scale, hopefully starting from basalt and having no waste streams.

Nanotech Energy Challenges, Continued

19

DOE Research Targets Nanoscience for Energy Needs

• Scalable methods to split H20 with sunlight for H2 production.• Highly selective catalysts for clean and energy-efficient

manufacturing.• Harvesting of solar energy with 20% power efficiency and 100X

lower cost.• Solid-state lighting at 50% of power use.• Super-strong, light-weight materials for transportation efficiency.

• Reversible H2 storage materials at RT.• Power transmission lines with 1 GW capacity.• Low-cost fuel cells, batteries, thermoelectrics, and ultra-capacitors.• Materials synthesis and energy harvesting based on efficient,

selective bio-mechanisms.

20

Greenhouse Gases/Global Warming

Figure 6.14: Greenhouse Effect.

21

• We have entered uncharted territory – what some call the anthropocene climate regime. • Over the 20th Century, human population quadrupled and energy consumption increased sixteenfold. • Near end of last century, global warming from fossil fuel greenhouse became a major, dominant factor in climate change. Figure 6.15: Global warming over the century.

Global Warming Over Past Millennium

Greenhouse Gases/Global Warming, Continued

22

Figure 6.16: Rise of CO2.

Global Warming Over Past Millennium, Continued

23


Cost of Capture • Single largest impediment to implementation of carbon sequestration at a grand scale.

Figure 6.17: DOE fossil energy.


24

Nanotechnology for Greenhouse Gas (CO2) Remediation

• Efficient capture mechanisms – membranes, high surface area.

• Catalytic or other chemical conversion to useful compounds such as methanol.

• Photochemical reduction to CO for fuel.

• “Artificial” photosynthesis.

• Convert to carbon nanotubes or graphene.


25

Figure 6.18: Overall, 58% of primary energy is lost energy.

Efficiency

26

Primary Energy

Figure 6.19b: Liquid fuels consumption by sector 1990-2030.

Efficiency, Continued

27

Petroleum Consumption

Figure 6.18a: Petroleum consumption by sector

Figure 20: Energy-intensity indicator for household vehicles, by vehicle type and age, 1985, 1988, and 1991.

28

Household Vehicles


Figure 6.21: Energy-intensity indicator by passenger transportation mode, 1985, 1988, and 1991.

Technology and Energy Supply• Improving faster for efficient end-use than for energy supply.

29


Boeing• The Boeing 787

Dreamliner will be more fuel-efficient than earlier Boeing airliners. Boeing will also be the first major airliner to use composite materials for most of its construction.

Figure 6.22b: Photo of hybrid vehicle.

PHEVs• Plug-in hybrid electrical

vehicles (PHEVs) can reduce air pollution and dependence on petroleum, and lessen greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.

Figure 6.22a: Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

30


Figure 6.23: Potential per-vehicle reduction of petrolum consumption in PHEVs

31

Petroleum Consumption of PHEVs


Efficiency, ContinuedLighting Large Fraction of Energy Consumption • Lighting consumes ~20% of U.S electricity, but has very low efficiency.

Efficiencies of Energy Technologies in Buildings

Heating: 70-80%

Electrical Motors: 85-95%

Incandescent Lighting: ~5%

Fluorescent Lighting: ~25%

Metal Halide Lighting: ~30%1

10

100

1000

En

erg

y C

on

sum

pti

on

(Q

uad

s)

1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Energy

Electricity

Illumination42% Incandescent41% Fluorescent17% HID Projected

~96 Quads

~37 Quads

~8 Quads

Year

U.S. Energy ConsumptionU.S. Energy Consumption

Figure 6.24a: U.S. consumption of illumination.

Figure 6.24b: Efficiencies of energy technologies.

32

Synergy Between Solar Photovoltaic and LED

Figure 6.25: Converting between electricity and light – LED works as a reverse solar PV cell.


33

LEDElectricity

V

SOLAR PV

V

Solid-State Lighting: Semiconductor-Based Lighting Technology

Inorganic Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).

• III-V semiconductors-based device.

• High brightness point sources.

• Potential high efficiency and long lifetime.

Solid-state lighting is a new technology.

• Potentially 10 times more energy efficient than an incandescent lamp.• Provides revolutionary ways to illuminate homes, offices, and public spaces.

Figure 6.26: Closeup view of a LED’s substrate. (photo by Randy Montoya)


34


• Ultralight-weighting everything by new strong nanocomposites

• Nanostructured materials for insulation.

• Efficient nanodesigned lighting, reflectors to reduce heating.

• Improved combustion, higher fuel density.

• Light-weight energy storage devices in transportation.

35

Fossil Fuels

• High efficiency (50%), high wattage (>500 MW) plants.

• British Coal Gasifier: burns sewage sludge.

Figure 6.27: Integrated Gasified, Combined Cycle Plants.

Integrated Gasified, Combined Cycle Plants (IGCC)

36

• In 2003, President G.W. Bush announced:“… $1 billion, 10-year demonstration project to create the world’s first coal-based, zero-emissions electricity and hydrogen power plant.”

• Carbon Capture- Initial goal: 90% capture- Ultimate goal: 100% capture

• Economics - <10% increase in cost of electricity.- H2 production at $4/million Btu’s.- S and N2 used for fertilizers.

• Power Generation - ~275 MW (small prototype).- 50-60% efficiency.

Figure 6.28: Fossil energy prototype.

FutureGen (Zero Emissions Plant)

37

Fossil Fuels, Continued

Challenges in Oil Patch• Lighter systems for deep offshore operations (stronger, stable).

• Better sensors downhole (harsh environment).

• Smarter fluids.

• Enhanced recovery methods.

• Better catalysts.

• Better materials – corrosion, hardness.


38

Nanotechnology for Oil and Gas Exploration and Production (E&P) – Part 1• Stronger Pipe, Casing, Structures.

– Metals, Ti, alloys and composites, nanotextured.– Composite, nanocomposite.

• Complex Fluids.– Mud, nano additives, conducting at 0.02%, shape, size.– Viscosity, friction, thermal conductivity, control surface interactions.

• Sensors.– Wide variety, multifunctional chemical, physical.– Imbedded, composite, concrete, in fluids, smart dust?– Reliability through redundancy – emulate jet engine sensors?

• Seals, Elastomers with nano fillers.– High temperature resistance, toughness, and elongation.

39


Impact of Nanostructured Materials

• Revolution of Available Materials

Current Future

Property, Cost, Performance

Pro

per

ty,

Cos

t, P

erfo

rman

ce

New Perfo

rmance

Property, Cost, Performance

Pro

per

ty,

Cos

t, P

erfo

rman

ce

options

options requirements

• New Paradigms - Designed and tailorable materials with combination of characteristics:

•Sensing Responsive

•Information Processing Data Storage

•Data Transmission Bio-Compatibility

•Mechanical Durability

Figure 6.29: Optimize contradicting material performance requirements.


40

Nanowires in Electrical Sensing

Figure 6.30: A Nanowire that generates power by harvesting energy from the environment..


• Why is small good?

- Decrease thermal noise since electrode is smaller.

- Binding depletes charge carriers at surface, which is all device.

- Smaller sensors enable sensor array developments.

41

Source

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Figure 6.31a: Annular blowout preventers.


42

Seals, Elastomers with nano fillers.

Figure 6.31b: A is a schematic drawing of an unstressed polymer. The dots represent cross-links. B is the same polymer under stress. When the stress is removed, it will return to the A configuration.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Polymer_picture.PNG

• NanoComposites, Inc. develops nanotechnology-enhanced materials for use in seals and gaskets for the energy market.

• NanoComposites’ proprietary technology is enabling practical applications of these carbon nanotubes in elastomers - with the potential for many more applications.


NanoComposites, Inc.

43

Nanotechnology for Oil and Gas Exploration and Production (E&P) – Part 2

• SWNTs (Single Wall Nanotubes) – metallic conductors.– Power at the bit, rotation, plasma, laser.– (Embedded) signal wiring.– Energy from the bottom of the well.

• Thermoelectric.• Direct conversion of oil to electrons (catalysts).• Hydrogen (catalysts).

• Microwave (and optical) Sensors.• Thermal Control/Transport.• (Trailing) Cables for moles.• Percolation Conductivity (0.02%).• Fracturing Fillers, Particles.• Vibration damping SWNT composites.• Elastomer Composites (NanoComposites, Inc.).


44

-Al2O3

1000 °C

hollow core

toluene wash

polystyrene bead

aqueous solution alumoxne, fire to 220 °C

amorphous alumina

2000150010005000

corrundum

hollow -alumina spheres

Porous -alumina infiltrated by alumina

A-alumoxane sintered to 1000 °C

polystyrene bead

Hardness (Hv, Kgf.mm-2)

Nano Approach to Buoyant Proppants

Figure 6.32: Buoyant proppants.


45

• Smart Dust/Matter – ubiquitous computing.– Communication/interaction through media.

• Raw Computing/Visualization Power.– Approaching power of human brain.

• Data Storage – Petabyte CDs.– All corporate data on one disk in your shirt pocket.

• Grind Cuttings to nano-size – blow out!– Solve Mole cuttings problem?

• Nanoenergetics – shaped, smaller explosives (100X).• Smaller Motors – stronger nanocomposite magnets, lighter wire.• Lighter, Stronger Batteries (10x over Li already demonstrated –

nanostructured electrodes).• Coatings–hard, corrosion-resistant, durable, multifunctional, chameleon.• Nanotextured Membranes and Filters.• Self-protecting, self-diagnosing, self-healing (Space) Systems.


46

Nanotechnology for Oil and Gas Exploration and Production (E&P) – Part 3

Limiting Friction and Wear

- Challenge – mechanism. Performance and life are limited by lubricant supply; having effective lubricant replenishment/film repair could extend life indefinitely.

- Possible roles for nanotechnology.• Self-repairing lubricant films.• Nano-structured thin films with

optimized adhesion, friction, hardness, life, CTE.

• Smart liquid lubricants that adapt to conditions.

• Wear resistant nanostructured materials.

• Material limitations/opportunities for nanomaterials.

Figure 6.33: Nano diamond.


47

• Present market for nanomolecular paints.

Figure 6.34: Paint.


Molecular Electronics Corp. (MEC)

• Super C for electro coatings.

48

Adaptable “Chameleon” Coatings

solid lubricant nanoparticle

1-3

nm

3-10

nm

amor

ph

ous

mat

rix

wit

h s

olid

lub

rica

nt

hard crystallinenanoparticle

Lubricant Reservoirs

Figure 6.35: Jeffrey Zabinski, Air Force Research Laboratory.

• Transfer film formation.

wear debris

adaptive transfer film (“tribo-skin”) on contact surfaces

Substrate


49

“chameleon” coatingwith lubricant reservoirs

gradient interface

Nanoscale Revolutions to Mega Scale Challenges in Upstream E&P

• Introduce nanotechnologies to E&P.

• Clarify science versus sci-fi.

• Draw analogies to other industries.

• Demonstrate nanotech capabilities/relevance to E&P.

• Stimulate thinking and encourage investment.

• Plan for an international nanotech roadmap.


50

Hydrogen – Not a Primary Fuel

Hydrogen

Figure 6.36: Elements of a hydrogen economy.

51

Nanotechnology and Hydrogen Storage

• Researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are taking a new approach to "filling up" a fuel cell car with a nanoscale solid, hydrogen storage material.

• Their discovery could hasten a day when vehicles will run on hydrogen-powered, environmentally friendly fuel cells instead of gasoline engines.

• The challenge, of course, is how to store and carry hydrogen. Whatever the method, it needs to be no heavier and take up no more space than a traditional gas tank, but provide enough hydrogen to power the vehicle for 300 miles before refueling.

Figure 6.37: Hydrogen powered vehicle.

Hydrogen, Continued

52

DOE Hydrogen Storage Target

Figure 6.38: Comparison of storage solutions available on the market .

Hydrogen, Continued

53

Chahine’s Rule for Carbon vs. Kittrell’s Rule for 3D Nanoengineered Carbon

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Surface Area (m2/g)

Hy

dro

ge

n U

pta

ke

(7

7K

)

Chahine’s slope

Kittrell’s slope

Kittrell’s Rule3.7 wt%/1000 m2/g @ 2 atm, 77 K

Chahine’s Rule2.0 wt%/1000 m2/g@ 40 atm, 77 K

.

Figure 6.39: Nanoengineered carbon.

Hydrogen, Continued

54

Nuclear Power • The pebble bed modular reactor, or PBMR, is a particular design of pebble bed reactor under development by South African company PBMR, Ltd. in partnership with Eskom and other companies.

• PBMR is fueled and moderated by fuel spheres each containing TRISO coated oxide fuel grains and a surrounding hollow sphere of graphite moderator. These are stacked in a close packed lattice and cooled by helium, which is used to drive a turbine directly, or may be used to provide process heat for the production of hydrogen fuel.

• PBMR is modular in that only small to mid-sized units will be designed; larger power stations will be built by combining many of these modules.

• Core is annular with a centre column as a neutron reflector. Operating fuel temperature is to be kept below 1130°C to minimize fission product release from fuel during operation.

• First commercial units could start construction in 2016.

55

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_packed_lattice

Fission Reactors

• About 500 operating in the world now.

• To produce 10 TW, need 5000 new 2 GW reactors – one every other day for 28 years.

• Proven Uranium reserves at 10 TW last only 6-30 years.

• Uranium from the ocean to produce 10 TW requires 5 times the flow rate of all rivers on Earth.

• Still have issues with public fear, waste, proliferation, and terrorism.

• FY08 DOE Fission R&D totals $560 million.

• Nanotech needs include strong, corrosion, and radiation-resistant materials.

Nuclear Power, Continued

56

Figure 6.40: Fusion.


57

Source: The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL)

Fusion Attractive Domestic Energy Source• Abundant fuel, available to all nations.

– Deuterium and lithium easily available for thousands of years.• Environmental advantages.

– No carbon emissions, short-lived radioactivity.• Can’t blow up, resistant to terrorist attack.

– Less than 5 minutes of fuel in the chamber.• Low risk of nuclear materials proliferation.

– No fissile or fertile materials required.• Compact relative to solar, wind, and biomass.

– Modest land usage.• Not subject to daily, seasonal, or regional weather variation.

– No large-scale energy storage, nor long-distance transmission.• Cost of power estimated similar to coal, fission.• Can produce electricity and hydrogen.

– Complements other nearer-term energy sources.


58

ITER Provides Cooperative Opportunity to Make Sun on Earth

• Science Benefits-Extends fusion science to larger size, burning (self-heated) plasmas.

• Technology Benefits- Fusion-relevant technologies; high duty-factor operation.

• Goal - To demonstrate thescientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy,by producing industriallevels of fusion power. Figure 6.41: ITER.


59

Fusion Energy• Fusion is an attractive energy option for the future. • Progress towards fusion energy has been very rapid, but is

severely limited by budget constraints.– Japan and Europe are each investing much more in fusion

than the U.S.– DOE proposed FY08 funding of $428 million for Fusion

Energy with $160 million tagged for ITER, a joint international research and development project.*

• A plan for the development of fusion requires:– Fundamental Understanding.– Configuration Optimization.– Materials and Technology.

• Nanotechnology is needed for improved HT and radiation-resistant materials…and could have revolutionary impacts through improved magnet systems.

*Update: Funding ITER was not approved in FY08 budget. 60

Documents

Nano-Energy Applications Part I Wade Adams, Ph.D. Director Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology Rice University 1