Developing wireless nanodevices and nanosystems is of critical importance for sensing, medical science, environmental/infrastructure monitoring, defense technology and even personal electronics. It is highly desirable...Developing wireless nanodevices and nanosystems is of critical importance for sensing, medical science, environmental/infrastructure monitoring, defense technology and even personal electronics. It is highly desirable for wireless devices to be self-powered without using battery, without which most of the sensor network may be impossible. The pie- zoelectric nanogenerators have the potential to serve as self-sufficient power sources for micro/nano systems. For wurtzite structures that have non-central symmetry, such as ZnO, GaN and InN, a piezoelectric potential （piezopotential） is created in the crystal by applying a strain. The nanogenerator is invented by using the piezopotential as the driving force for electrons to flow in respond to a dynamic straining of piezoelectric nanowires. A gentle straining can produce an output voltage of up to 20 - 50 V from an integrated nanogenerator. Furthermore, piezopotential in the wurtzite structure can serve as gate voltage that can effectively tune/control the charge transport across an interface/junction; electronics fabricated based on such a mechanism is coined as piezotronics, with applications in force/pressure triggercd/controlled electronic devices, sensors, logic units and memory. By using the piezotronic effect, it is showed that the optoelectronic devices fabricated using wurtzite materials can have superior performance as solar cell, photon detector and light emitting diode. Piezotronie is likely to serve as ＂mechanosensation＂ for directly interfacing biomechanieal action with silicon based technology and active flexible electronics. The paper gives a brief review about the basis of nanogenertors and piezotronics and their potential applications in smart MEMS （micro-electro-mechanical systems）.展开更多
Between the alternative sources available for the electricity production, still lacks reliability for the production in base units. For the electricity production from 500 MW to 1,000 MW or more, the coal-fired therma...Between the alternative sources available for the electricity production, still lacks reliability for the production in base units. For the electricity production from 500 MW to 1,000 MW or more, the coal-fired thermal and nuclear power plants with uranium have proved competitive and with a high level of reliability and maturation, besides presenting the fuel supply security. This paper presents an analysis of technical feasibility for the choice of the best technology for generating electricity on a large scale, based on coal-fired thermal or nuclear power plant using uranium. This paper takes in account the availability of fuel sources, investments costs, thermal power generation systems, pollutants emission and mitigation technologies, global efficiency, fuel consumption, costs of electricity, construction time and an average lifespan of the installation. Thus the analysis allows the most rational choice of technology for the production of electricity with lower electricity costs and lower COz emissions.展开更多
Botswana currently depends on electricity generated from coal-based power plant or electricity supplied from the border in South Africa. The country has good reserves of coal and the solar radiation is sufficiently hi...Botswana currently depends on electricity generated from coal-based power plant or electricity supplied from the border in South Africa. The country has good reserves of coal and the solar radiation is sufficiently high to make solar thermal attractive for generating electricity. The paper presents two conceptual coal-fired power station designs in which a solar sub-system augments heat to the feed heaters or to the boiler. The thermal and economic analyses showed enhanced system performance which indicates that solar power could be embedded into existing fossil fuel plants or new power stations. Integrating solar energy with existing or new fossil fuel based power plants could reduce the cost of stand-alone solar thermal power stations, reduce CO2 emissions and produce experience necessary to operate a full scale solar thermal electricity generation facility.展开更多
文摘Developing wireless nanodevices and nanosystems is of critical importance for sensing, medical science, environmental/infrastructure monitoring, defense technology and even personal electronics. It is highly desirable for wireless devices to be self-powered without using battery, without which most of the sensor network may be impossible. The pie- zoelectric nanogenerators have the potential to serve as self-sufficient power sources for micro/nano systems. For wurtzite structures that have non-central symmetry, such as ZnO, GaN and InN, a piezoelectric potential （piezopotential） is created in the crystal by applying a strain. The nanogenerator is invented by using the piezopotential as the driving force for electrons to flow in respond to a dynamic straining of piezoelectric nanowires. A gentle straining can produce an output voltage of up to 20 - 50 V from an integrated nanogenerator. Furthermore, piezopotential in the wurtzite structure can serve as gate voltage that can effectively tune/control the charge transport across an interface/junction; electronics fabricated based on such a mechanism is coined as piezotronics, with applications in force/pressure triggercd/controlled electronic devices, sensors, logic units and memory. By using the piezotronic effect, it is showed that the optoelectronic devices fabricated using wurtzite materials can have superior performance as solar cell, photon detector and light emitting diode. Piezotronie is likely to serve as ＂mechanosensation＂ for directly interfacing biomechanieal action with silicon based technology and active flexible electronics. The paper gives a brief review about the basis of nanogenertors and piezotronics and their potential applications in smart MEMS （micro-electro-mechanical systems）.
文摘Between the alternative sources available for the electricity production, still lacks reliability for the production in base units. For the electricity production from 500 MW to 1,000 MW or more, the coal-fired thermal and nuclear power plants with uranium have proved competitive and with a high level of reliability and maturation, besides presenting the fuel supply security. This paper presents an analysis of technical feasibility for the choice of the best technology for generating electricity on a large scale, based on coal-fired thermal or nuclear power plant using uranium. This paper takes in account the availability of fuel sources, investments costs, thermal power generation systems, pollutants emission and mitigation technologies, global efficiency, fuel consumption, costs of electricity, construction time and an average lifespan of the installation. Thus the analysis allows the most rational choice of technology for the production of electricity with lower electricity costs and lower COz emissions.
文摘Botswana currently depends on electricity generated from coal-based power plant or electricity supplied from the border in South Africa. The country has good reserves of coal and the solar radiation is sufficiently high to make solar thermal attractive for generating electricity. The paper presents two conceptual coal-fired power station designs in which a solar sub-system augments heat to the feed heaters or to the boiler. The thermal and economic analyses showed enhanced system performance which indicates that solar power could be embedded into existing fossil fuel plants or new power stations. Integrating solar energy with existing or new fossil fuel based power plants could reduce the cost of stand-alone solar thermal power stations, reduce CO2 emissions and produce experience necessary to operate a full scale solar thermal electricity generation facility.
