Enhanced entropy generation and heat transfer characteristics of magnetic nano-encapsulated phase change materials in latent heat thermal energy storage systems

The objective of the current study is to investigate the importance of entropy generation and thermal radiation on the patterns of velocity,isentropic lines,and temperature contours within a thermal energy storage device filled with magnetic nanoencapsulated phase change materials(NEPCMs).The versatile finite element method(FEM)is implemented to numerically solve the governing equations.The effects of various parameters,including the viscosity parameter,ranging from 1 to 3,the thermal conductivity parameter,ranging from 1 to 3,the Rayleigh parameter,ranging from 102 to 3×10^(2),the radiation number,ranging from 0.1 to 0.5,the fusion temperature,ranging from 1.0 to 1.2,the volume fraction of NEPCMs,ranging from 2%to 6%,the Stefan number,ranging from 1 to 5,the magnetic number,ranging from 0.1 to 0.5,and the irreversibility parameter,ranging from 0.1 to 0.5,are examined in detail on the temperature contours,isentropic lines,heat capacity ratio,and velocity fields.Furthermore,the heat transfer rates at both the cold and hot walls are analyzed,and the findings are presented graphically.The results indicate that the time taken by the NEPCMs to transition from solid to liquid is prolonged inside the chamber region as the fusion temperatureθf increases.Additionally,the contours of the heat capacity ratio Cr decrease with the increase in the Stefan number Ste.

Hydrogen generation from NaBH_(4) for portable proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Sodium borohydride(NaBH_(4)) is considered as the most potential hydrogen storage material for portable proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFC)because of its high theoretical hydrogen capacity.However,the slow and poor kinetic stability of hydrogen generation from NaBH_(4) hydrolysis limits its application.There are two main factors influencing the kinetics stability of hydrogen generation from NaBH_(4).One factor is that the alkaline byproducts(NaBO_(2)) of the hydrolysis reaction can increase the pH of the solution,thus inhibiting the reaction process.It mainly happens in the NaBH_(4) solution hydrolysis system.Another factor is that the monotonous increase in reaction temperature leads to uncontrollable and unpredictable hydrolysis rates in the solid NaBH_(4) hydrolysis system.This is due to the excess heat generated from this exothermic reaction in the initial reaction of NaBH_(4) hydrolysis.In this perspective,we summarize the latest research progress in hydrogen generation from NaBH_(4) and emphasize the design principles of catalysts for hydrogen generation from NaBH_(4) solution and solid state NaBH_(4).The importance of carbon as catalyst support material for NaBH_(4) hydrolysis is also highlighted.

Lignocellulosic biomass as sustainable feedstock and materials for power generation and energy storage

Lignocellulosic biomass has attracted great interest in recent years for energy production due to its renewability and carbon-neutral nature.There are various ways to convert lignocellulose to gaseous,liquid and solid fuels via thermochemical,chemical or biological approaches.Typical biomass derived fuels include syngas,bio-gas,bio-oil,bioethanol and biochar,all of which could be used as fuels for furnace,engine,turbine or fuel cells.Direct biomass fuel cells mediated by various electron carriers provide a new direction of lignocellulose conversion.Various metal and non-metal based carriers have been screened for mediating the electron transfer from biomass to oxygen thus generating electricity.The power density of direct biomass fuel cells can be over 100 mW cm^(-2),which shows promise for practical applications.Lignocellulose and its isolated components,primarily cellulose and lignin,have also been paid considerable attention as sustainable carbonaceous materials for preparation of electrodes for supercapacitors,lithium-ion batteries and lithium-sulfur batteries.In this paper,we have provided a state-of-the-art review on the research progress of lignocellulosic biomass as feedstock and materials for power generation and energy storage focusing on the chemistry aspects of the processes.It was recommended that process integration should be performed to reduce the cost for thermochemical and biological conversion of lignocellulose to biofuels,while efforts should be made to increase efficiency and improve the properties for biomass fuelled fuel cells and biomass derived electrodes for energy storage.

Preparation and Characterization of PZT Piezoelectric Thick Film Generation Materials Enhanced by PZT Nanoparticles

The use of piezoelectric materials to capitalize on the ambient vibrations surrounding a system is one method that has seen a dramatic rise in use for power harvesting.Lead zirconate titanate,one of the most popular piezoelectric materials,has larger piezoelectric response than piezoelectric materials,such as ZnO and AlN.Ferroelectric films are suitable for vibration energy harvesting.Dense and crack-free(100)oriented PZT piezoelectric thick film is prepared on Pt/Cr/SiO2/Si substrate by sol-gel using PZT nanoparticles as reinforcing phase.The thick film possesses single-phase perovskite structure and perfectly(100)oriented.The influences of crystalline and amorphous PZT nanoparticles on the(100)oriented degree and the influences of the molar concentration ratio of amorphous PZT nanoparticles and PZT sol on surface morphology of PZT piezoelectric thick film are investigated.Experimental results show that,amorphous PZT nanoparticles are more helpful than the crystalline nanoparticles for the PZT thick film preferred orientation growth along the(100)direction.The 3μm-thick PZT thick film enhanced by amorphous PZT nanoparticles annealed at 700℃for 5min has the strongest(100)orientation degree,being 82.3%,and the surface is dense,smooth and crack-free.

Computational Analysis of the Effect of Nano Particle Material Motion on Mixed Convection Flow in the Presence of Heat Generation and Absorption

The present study is concerned with the physical behavior of the combined effect of nano particle material motion and heat generation/absorption due to the effect of different parameters involved in prescribed flow model.The formulation of the flow model is based on basic universal equations of conservation of momentum,energy and mass.The prescribed flow model is converted to non-dimensional form by using suitable scaling.The obtained transformed equations are solved numerically by using finite difference scheme.For the analysis of above said behavior the computed numerical data for fluid velocity,temperature profile,and mass concentration for several constraints that is mixed convection parameterλt,modified mixed convection parameterλc,Prandtl number Pr,heat generation/absorption parameterδ,Schmidt number Sc,thermophoresis parameter Nt,and thermophoretic coefficient k are sketched in graphical form.Numerical results for skin friction,heat transfer rate and the mass transfer rate are tabulated for various emerging physical parameters.It is reported that in enhancement in heat,generation boosts up the fluid temperature at some positions of the surface of the sphere.As heat absorption parameter is decreased temperature field increases at position X=π/4 on the other hand,no alteration at other considered circumferential positions is noticed.

A novel nanoporous Mg-Li material for efficient hydrogen generation

Hydrogen generation material is a new kind of energy material that can supply hydrogen by reacting with water and is drawing more and more attention with the development of hydrogen economy. In this study, a novel nanoporous magnesium-lithium material prepared by a physical vapor deposition method exhibits an excellent hydrogen generation property. It generates hydrogen efficiently and quickly with saltwater, reaching a hydrogen generation amount of 962 mL g^(-1) and hydrogen generation rates of 60 mL g^(-1)min^(-1), 109 mL g^(-1)min^(-1),256 mL g^(-1)min^(-1) and 367 mL g^(-1)min^(-1) at 0 ℃, 25 ℃, 35 ℃ and 50 ℃, respectively. The nanoporous magnesium-lithium material is composed of a solid solution phase with a magnesium-lithium atomic ratio of 17:3. By synchrotron radiation analysis, the sizes of the nanopores are in the range of 100 nm ~ 600 nm with an average size of 280 nm, and the porosity is calculated to be ~42.4%. The improved hydrogen generation property is attributed to the nanoporous structure with a high specific surface area, and the addition of lithium element which acts as active sites in hydrogen generation process.

Study and performance test of 10 kW molten carbonate fuel cell power generation system

The use of high-temperature fuel cells as a power technology can improve the efficiency of electricity generation and achieve near-zero emissions of carbon dioxide.This work explores the performance of a 10 kW high-temperature molten carbonate fuel cell.The key materials of a single cell were characterized and analyzed using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy.The results show that the pore size of the key electrode material is 6.5 lm and the matrix material is a-LiAlO_(2).Experimentally,the open circuit voltage of the single cell was found to be 1.23 V.The current density was greater than 100 mA/cm^(2)at an operating voltage of 0.7 V.The 10 kW fuel cell stack comprised 80 single fuel cells with a total area of 2000 cm^(2)and achieved an open circuit voltage of greater than 85 V.The fuel cell stack power and current density could reach 11.7 kW and 104.5 mA/cm2 at an operating voltage of 56 V.The influence and long-term stable operation of the stack were also analyzed and discussed.The successful operation of a 10 kW high-temperature fuel cell promotes the large-scale use of fuel cells and provides a research basis for future investigations of fuel cell capacity enhancement and distributed generation in China.

Imaging the crystal orientation of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides using polarization-resolved second-harmonic generation

We use laser-scanning nonlinear imaging microscopy in atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides(TMDs)to reveal information on the crystalline orientation distribution,within the 2D lattice.In particular,we perform polarization-resolved second-harmonic generation(PSHG)imaging in a stationary,raster-scanned chemical vapor deposition(CVD)-grown WS2 flake,in order to obtain with high precision a spatially resolved map of the orientation of its main crystallographic axis(armchair orientation).By fitting the experimental PSHG images of sub-micron resolution into a generalized nonlinear model,we are able to determine the armchair orientation for every pixel of the image of the 2D material,with further improved resolution.This pixel-wise mapping of the armchair orientation of 2D WS2 allows us to distinguish between different domains,reveal fine structure,and estimate the crystal orientation variability,which can be used as a unique crystal quality marker over large areas.The necessity and superiority of a polarization-resolved analysis over intensity-only measurements is experimentally demonstrated,while the advantages of PSHG over other techniques are analysed and discussed.

Recent Advances in Fibrous Materials for Interfacial Solar Steam Generation

The scarcity of fresh water resources has become a serious issue hindering the sustainable development of modern civilization.The interfacial solar steam generation(ISSG)system that produces heat on material surface through photothermal conversion for desalination has been demonstrated as a promising candidate for practical application.Fibrous materials with unique flexibility,durability,processability,practicability,and multifunctionality have attracted considerable attention in the ISSG field.In this review,the basics of fibrous materials,such as their classification,manufacturing methods and flexible fibrous structure,are firstly introduced.Afterward,the outstanding properties of fibrous materials on different dimensions are demonstrated,as well as the versatile morphologies and structures that allow fibrous materials to carry out different roles in ISSG.Moreover,the practicability and multifunctionality of fibrous materials are illustrated in detail by combining specific cases to show their promising potential in practical ISSG application.Finally,existing challenges and future opportunities of fibrous material-based ISSG systems are discussed.

Modulation of the second-harmonic generation in MoS_(2) by graphene covering

Nonlinear optical frequency mixing,which describes new frequencies generation by exciting nonlinear materials with intense light field,has drawn vast interests in the field of photonic devices,material characterization,and optical imaging.Investigating and manipulating the nonlinear optical response of target materials lead us to reveal hidden physics and develop applications in optical devices.Here,we report the realization of facile manipulation of nonlinear optical responses in the example system of MoS_(2) monolayer by van der Waals interfacial engineering.We found that,the interfacing of monolayer graphene will weaken the exciton oscillator strength in MoS_(2) monolayer and correspondingly suppress the second harmonic generation(SHG)intensity to 30%under band-gap resonance excitation.While with off-resonance excitation,the SHG intensity would enhance up to 130%,which is conjectured to be induced by the interlayer excitation between MoS_(2) and graphene.Our investigation provides an effective method for controlling nonlinear optical properties of two-dimensional materials and therefore facilitates their future applications in optoelectronic and photonic devices.

Analysis of silicon-based integrated photovoltaic–electrochemical hydrogen generation system under varying temperature and illumination

Last decade witnessed tremendous research and development in the area of photo-electrolytic hydrogen generation using chemically stable nanostructured photo-cathode/anode materials. Due to intimately coupled charge separation and photo-catalytic processes, it is very difficult to optimize individual components of such system leading to a very low demonstrated solar-to-fuel efficiency (SFE) of less than 1%. Recently there has been growing interest in an integrated photovoltaic–electrochemical (PV–EC) system based on GaAs solar cells with the demonstrated SFE of 24.5% under concentrated illumination condition. But a high cost of GaAs based solar cells and recent price drop of poly-crystalline silicon (pc-Si) solar cells motivated researchers to explore silicon based integrated PV–EC system. In this paper a theoretical framework is introduced to model silicon-based integrated PV–EC device. The theoretical framework is used to analyze the coupling and kinetic losses of a silicon solar cell based integrated PV–EC water splitting system under varying temperature and illumination. The kinetic loss occurs in the range of 19.1%–27.9% and coupling loss takes place in the range of 5.45%–6.74% with respect to varying illumination in the range of 20–100?mW/cm2. Similarly, the effect of varying temperature has severe impact on the performance of the system, wherein the coupling loss occurs in the range of 0.84%–21.51% for the temperature variation from 25 to 50?°C. ? 2016 Science Press

Second Harmonic Generation in Some Donor-Acceptor Substituted Chalcone Derivatives

A series of five chalcone derivatives with different substituents in para and meta posions have been synthesized, and single crystals were successfully grown in aceton solution by slow evaporation solution growth technique (SESGT). Single crystal X-ray studies revealed that all the crystals crystallized in noncentrosymmetric space group with their molecular dipoles perfectly aligned in a direction-favorable for large nonlinear optical effects. Kurtz powder tests revealed that all five materials have second-harmonic-generating properties with maximum efficiencies of approximately 14 times that of urea standard. UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analyses are also presented for all of the reported materials. Among the five chalcones, high quality single crystals of 4-Methoxy-4'-chlorochalcone were grown by SESGT, and its crystalline perection were studied by using a high resolution X-ray diffractometry (HRXRD).

Photothermal materials for efficient solar powered steam generation

Solar powered steam generation is an emerging area in the field o f energy harvest and sustainable technologies.The nano-structured photothermal materials are able to harvest energy from the full solar spectrum and convert it to heat with high efficiency.Moreover,the materials and structures for heat management as well as the mass transportation are also brought to the forefront.Several groups have reported their materials and structures as solutions for high performance devices,a few creatively coupled other physical fields with solar energy to achieve even better results.This paper provides a systematic review on the recent developments in photothermal nanomaterial discovery,material selection,structural design and mass/heat management,as well as their applications in seawater desalination and fresh water production from waste water with free solar energy.It also discusses current technical challenges and likely future developments.This article will help to stimulate novel ideas and new designs for the photothermal materials,towards efficient,low cost practical solar-driven clean water production.

Thermoelectric interface materials:A perspective to the challenge of thermoelectric power generation module

The past years has observed a significantly boost of the thermoelectric materials in the scale of thermoelectric figure-of-merit,i.e.ZT,because of its promising application to harvest the widely distributed waste heat.However,the simplified thermoelectric materials'performance scale also shifted the focus of thermoelectric energy conversion technique from devices-related efforts to materials-level works.As a result,the thermoelectric devices-related works didn't get enough attention.The device-level challenges behind were kept unknown until recent years.However,besides the thermoelectric materials properties,the practical energy conversion efficiency and service life of thermoelectric device is highly determined by assembling process and the contact interface.In this perspective,we are trying to shine some light on the device-level challenge,and give a special focus on the thermoelectric interface materials(TEiM)between the thermoelectric elements and electrode,which is also known as the metallization layer or solder barrier layer.We will go through the technique concerns that determine the scope of the TEiM,including bonding strength,interfacial resistance and stability.Some general working principles are summarized before the discussion of some typical examples of searching proper TEiM for a given thermoelectric conversion material.

Applications of bio-derived/bio-inspired materials in the field of interfacial solar steam generation

Interfacial solar steam generation(ISSG)system has attracted extensive attention as a sustainable desalination technology because of its cost efficiency and zero fossil-energy consumption.Aiming at optimizing the desalination properties,materials and system design have been the current research focus.Recently,many novel bio-derived/bio-inspired design strategies were proposed owing to their highly efficient structures inherited from nature,which were fine-tuned over eons of evolution,as well as their low cost and ease of treatment.In this review,we are going to systematically report recent progress of various bio-derived/bio-inspired strategies in terms of optical design,wetting,thermal management,and overall system design,presenting an overview of the current challenges of bio-inspired materials in ISSG system and other application fields.This article is intended to provide a comprehensive review of recent developments about bio-derived/bio-inspired materials in ISSG system and conclude with suggestions regarding further research directions for performance enhancement through design of bio-derived/bio-inspired materials.

Progress and prospects of two-dimensional materials for membrane-based osmotic power generation

The electrical energy that can be harnessed from the salinity difference across the sea water and river water interface can be one of the sustainable and clean energy resources of the future.This energy can be harnessed via the nanofluidic channels that selectively permeate ions.The selective diffusion of cations and anions can produce electricity through reverse electrodialysis.Two-dimensional(2D)materials are a class of nanomaterials that hold great promise in this field.Several breakthrough works have been previously published which demonstrate the high electrical power densities of 2D membranes.The ion transportation can be either through the nano-sized in-plane pores or interlayer spacings of 2D materials.This review article highlights the progress in 2D materials for salinity gradient power generation.Several types of 2D membranes with various nano-architectures are discussed in this review article.These include atom-thick 2D membranes with nanopores,2D lamellar membranes,2D lamellar membranes with nanopores,2D/one-dimensional(1D),and 2D/2D hybrid membranes.The fabrication techniques,physical characteristics,ion transportation properties,and the osmotic power generation of these 2D membranes are elaborated in this review article.Finally,we overview the future research direction in this area.It is envisioned that the research on 2D materials can make practical salinity gradient power generation one step closer to reality.

Synthesis and photoconductivities of bisazo charge generation materials

Six bisazo compounds were synthesized by coupling 2-(49-aminophenyl)-6-aminobenzoxazole as diazo component with N-phenyl-N9-(2-hydroxy-3-naphthoyl)urea derivatives,and characterized by ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy(UV-Vis),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR)and elemental analysis(EA).Using these bisazo compounds as charge generation materials and CT-191(2-methyl-4-(N,N-dibenzyl)aminobenzoaldehyde-1,1-diphenylhydrazone)as charge transportation material,organic photoconductive devices were prepared.The result from photoconductivity measurement of the devices shows that the bisazo compound from N-(2-methylphenyl)-N9-(2-hydroxy-3-naphthoyl)urea has the best xerographic performance,V_(0)=600 V,V_(R)=30 V,R_(d)=15 V·s^(-1),E_(1/2)=3.5 lx·s.

Nanoporous black silver film with high porosity for efficient solar steam generation

Given the challenges brought by the shortage of freshwater resources,solar water evaporation has been regarded as one of the most promising technologies for harnessing abundant sunlight to harvest clean water from the sea.Nanostructured metals have attracted extensive attention in solar water evaporation due to their localized surface plasmon resonance effect,but highly porous metallic films with high evaporation efficiency are challenging.Herein,a self-supporting black nanoporous silver(NP-Ag)film was fabricated by dealloying of an extremely dilute Al99Ag1 alloy.The choice of the dilute precursor guarantees the formation of the NP-Ag film with high porosity(96.5%)and low density(0.3703 g·cm^(-3),even smaller than the lightest metal lithium).The three-dimensional ligament-channel network structure and the nanoscale(14.6 nm)of ligaments enable the NP-Ag film to exhibit good hydrophilicity and broadband absorption over 200‒2,500 nm.More importantly,the solar evaporator based on the NP-Ag film shows efficient solar steam generation,including the efficiency of 92.6%,the evaporation rate of 1.42 kg·m^(-2)·h^(-1)and good cycling stability under one sun irradiation.Moreover,the NP-Ag film exhibits acceptable seawater desalination property with the ion rejection for Mg^(2+),Ca^(2+),K^(+)and Na^(+)more than 99.3%.Our findings could provide a new idea and inspiration for the design and fabrication of metal-based photothermal films in real solar evaporation applications.

Performance of a bi-layer solar steam generation system working at a high-temperature of top surface

Many efforts have been focused on enhancing the vapor generation in bi-layer solar steam generation systems for obtaining as much pure water as possible.However,the methods to enhance the vapor temperature is seldom studied although the high-temperature vapor has a wide use in medical sterilization and electricity generation.In this work,to probe the high-temperature vapor system,an improved macroscopic heat and mass transfer model was proposed.Then,using the finite element method to solve the model,the influences of some main factors on the evaporation efficiency and vapor temperature were discussed,including effects of the vapor transport conditions and the heat dissipation conditions.The results show that the high-temperature vapor could not be obtained by enhancing the heat-insulating property of the bi-layer systems but by applying the optimal porosity and proper absorbers.This paper is expected to provide some information for designing a bi-layered system to produce high-temperature vapor.

Porous carbon-based thermally conductive materials:Fabrication,functions and applications

The demand for electronic devices has dramatically increased in the past few years.Efficient electronic devices require excellent thermal management systems to extend their operation time and prevent heat accumulation from affecting performance.Carbonaceous materials are considered as one of the ideal thermal management materials due to their excellent physiochemical stability.In addition,since porous-structured carbon materials typically exhibit outstanding thermal conductivity,low density,and large contact area,they have attracted considerable attention from both academia and industry in the last decades.In this review,methods and strategies for the preparation of highly thermally conductive porous carbon-based materials and the factors that influence their thermal conductivity of the materials are summarized.The thermal performance of porous carbonaceous materials fabricated by different approaches and their applications are also discussed.Finally,the potential challenges and strategies for the development and applications of highly thermally conductive porous carbona-ceous materials are discussed.