Flexible nanoantenna arrays capture abundant solar energy

News Type: Event — Seeded on Wed Aug 13, 2008 7:49 PM EDT

Article Source: EurekAlert!

Researchers have devised an inexpensive way to produce plastic sheets containing billions of nanoantennas that collect heat energy generated by the sun and other sources. The technology, developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory, is the first step toward a solar energy collector that could be mass-produced on flexible materials.

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{"commentId":2447452,"authorDomain":"redwolf"}

Red Wolf

The researchers studied the behavior of various materials -- including gold, manganese and copper -- under infrared rays and used the resulting data to build computer models of nanoantennas. They found that with the right materials, shape and size, the simulated nanoantennas could harvest up to 92 percent of the energy at infrared wavelengths.

The team then created real-life prototypes to test their computer models. First, they used conventional production methods to etch a silicon wafer with the nanoantenna pattern. The silicon-based nanoantennas matched the computer simulations, absorbing more than 80 percent of the energy over the intended wavelength range. Next, they used a stamp-and-repeat process to emboss the nanoantennas on thin sheets of plastic. While the plastic prototype is still being tested, initial experiments suggest that it also captures energy at the expected infrared wavelengths.

{"commentId":2447452,"threadId":"331458","contentId":"1746584","authorDomain":"redwolf"}

3 votes

#1 - Wed Aug 13, 2008 7:50 PM EDT

{"commentId":2449645,"authorDomain":"caroleroach"}

Carole R

This is sounding promising. Thank you for the seed Red Wolf.

{"commentId":2449645,"threadId":"331458","contentId":"1746584","authorDomain":"caroleroach"}

2 votes

#1.1 - Thu Aug 14, 2008 12:02 AM EDT

{"commentId":2449903,"authorDomain":"rsloan"}

Rees Sloan

Call me a dreamer, but I'm extremely interested in this technology and its potential application towards aviation. Aircraft our still our primary means of quick transportation, particularly in the transit of people. Flying at high altitudes, clear of clouds (the number one enemy of solar power) and in the scorching sun, Imagine hybrid aircraft that are considerable more fuel efficient because of an outer coating of lightweight solar cells. Or even so called "ultralight" aircraft that could experience sustained flight completely due to the sun. Heck, I'm going to go as far as to say that if we can harness the sun's electricity and store it efficiently, we might see a perpetually floating house

{"commentId":2449903,"threadId":"331458","contentId":"1746584","authorDomain":"rsloan"}

3 votes

#2 - Thu Aug 14, 2008 12:43 AM EDT

{"commentId":2538474,"authorDomain":"2ndKnight"}

2ndKnight

Why bother with the antennas? If you can get diodes with such low forward voltage the thermal motion of the electrons would be sufficient to drive them through these magic one way valves. Maxwell's demons cannot function and never will.

Perhaps if infrared black body radiation was low entropy coherent radiation like radio or microwave transmissions the system might work. Otherwise, one cannot defy the 2nd law of thermodynamics.

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#3 - Thu Aug 21, 2008 11:42 PM EDT

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RED WOLF

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Flexible nanoantenna arrays capture abundant solar energy

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