Nanotechnology emerges in energy efficiency

Nanotechnology emerges in energy efficiency

At the University of Leicester in Leicester, England, nanotechnology is taking the forefront in the construction of energy efficient materials.
Worldwide, demand for energy is increasing, placing greater stress on limited resources such as oil. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the transportation industry, which accounts for the use of 20 percent of the world’s energy and is a leading cause of pollution.
A post graduate researcher at the University of Leicester is working to fabricate light, strong materials using nanotechnology materials. He hopes to create lighter components for both the automotive and aerospace industries, which focus their research and development on alternative energy sources, such as bio-fuels and electric batteries.
“The Kyoto agreement and the European Commission suggest that the automotive manufacturers should reduce their vehicle weight to minimize CO2 emissions and conserve finite oil (fossil fuel) reserves,” Sinan Kandemir, the researcher leading the effort, said.
He believes his research will yield quicker results than the automotive industry’s research into alternative fuels.
Light materials, such as aluminum and magnesium, have been proposed to replace steel in car bodies. However, according to Kandemir, these lighter metals lack the strength required to keep passengers and drivers safe.
He suggests the use of nano-sized ceramic particles, which can be incorporated into light metals. This would modify the physical properties of light metals, increasing their strength, but maintaining a lighter weight, requiring less fuel to propel the car.
"These nano-composite materials save weight and offer greater performance whilst contributing to the fuel efficiency and reducing greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere,” Kandemir said.
This is not the only research into energy efficiency and nanotechnology being conducted. On the other side of the world, a University of Utah USTAR researcher, Ling Zang, Ph.D., is also investigating the use of nanotechnology in energy efficiency.
Specifically, his current research is on nanoscale imaging and molecular probing, nanostructures, optoelectronic sensors and nanodevices. Among his goals are achieving real applications in renewable energy and other areas of study.
One area he cites as an area that can benefit from nanotechnology is solar power.
“Silicon dominates current solar panel technology, and that can be expensive,” Zang said in “Nanotechnology will help us move to utilization of alternative materials, and even to paint-on materials, by reducing production costs and increasing efficiency.”
Zang is the editor of the book, “Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy through Nanotechnology.”