Research
Phase 2 Technology Commercialization
Research Projects: |
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Title: Development of high efficiency polymer solar cells |
| Description: The objective of the proposed project is to synthesize broadly absorbing, black colored (PBLACK) polymers with especially high charge mobilities and to fabricate the highest performance polymer solar cells possible. Specifically, we will synthesize polymers with absorption band ranging from 400 nm to beyond 1 µm with carrier mobilities higher than 10-4 cm2/Vs. Polymer-fullerene (both PC60BM and PC70BM along with more recently developed derivatives) blend morphology will be optimized using different solvent/heat treatments as well as additives to the blends. The final device will be enhanced using anode and cathode interlayers to enhance carrier extraction to the electrodes. With the ability to synthesize broadly absorbing polymers, control the donor-acceptor phase morphology and engineer the device structure, it is expected that the power conversion efficiency of polymer solar cells can reach 10% at the end of the two-year program. | |
| PI: Franky So – UF | |
| Industry Partner: SestarTechnologies, LLC | |
| This project has been completed. | |
| May 2013 Progress Report November 2012 Annual Report |
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Title: Development of a Low Cost Concentrating Solar Energy System Using Solar Sausages |
| PI: David Van Winkle, Sean Barton | |
| Description: Beginning in late 2010, weekly meetings have been held at offices in Tallahassee that include representatives of the several entities involved in deploying the “Solar Sausage” concentrating system at the Yulee St. site in Tallahassee. The entities include Pro Solar Inc., Barkley Consulting Engineers Inc., Winton Engineering PA, and Applied Research and Design Inc. A series of 50-foot long prototype sausages were made and inflated on site. Many issues were identified that needed to be resolved before manufacturing and deploying several hundred solar sausages on site including methods of constructing, mounting, and operating the balloons, distribution of air and electricity, and removal of heat. | |
| Universities: FSU | |
| Industry Partner: Hunter and Harp Holdings | |
| This project has been completed. | |
| November 2012 Progress Report November 2011 Annual Report |
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Title: Stress Evolution in Solid State Li Ion Battery Materials |
| PI: Kevin S. Jones Research Interests and Contact Information | |
| Description: The goal of this work is to understand the structure property relationship of cathodes being developed for solid state Li ion batteries. In conjunction with Planar Energy, various cathodes were supplied with the compositions of LiMn1-x-y-zCoxNiyAlzO2 (x+y+z ‰¤ 0.30) using the streaming protocol for electroless electrochemical deposition (SPEED). SPEED is a non-vacuum fabrication technique that enables the development of nano-particle based materials at low cost.All cathodes received have a crystal structure based off the Rm space group. The space group is shared by LiCoO2 and is described as alternating layers of Li and transition metals (Mn, Ni, Co, and Al) separated by oxygen layers in a close packed lattice. The crystal structure was revealed by x-ray diffraction using a Philips Xpert MRD and selected area diffraction (SAD) using JOEL 2010F TEM with the results shown in figure 1. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed the elemental composition of the cathodes with respect to the transition metals. Each cathode of the type LiMn1-x-y-zCoxNiyAlzO2 varied by less than 10% in Mn, Co, Ni, and Al from the theoretical composition.The result of spraying the cathode onto a steel surface leaves a film that is 2 – 5 ¼m in thickness with occasional mounds reaching heights of 30 ¼m. The film and mounds are porous, allowing the electrolyte to reach a larger surface area of the cathode. A cross sectional secondary electron (SED) image reveals three phases. The phase with the darkest contrast relates to the porosity, which was back-filled with an epoxy in order to isolate a single plane. The remaining phases relate to the cathode. The evolution of the cathode from the steel surface to the height of the film is shown in figure 2. The porosity of the sample, LiMn0.7Al0.3O2, is approximately 50% throughout the film Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the structure of the cathode includes both nanoparticles on the order of 5 – 10 nm in size and larger crystalline grains greater than 250 nm in size from figure 3. These different particle sizes are thought to make up the regions of varying contrast in the cathode which are otherwise chemically identical.The electrochemical properties of the LiMn1-x-y-zCoxNiyAlzO2 cathodes were tested in half-cell configurations. Figure 4 shows the efficiency of the half-cell batteries along with the capacity fade over 50 cycles between 3 – 5 V at 75 ¼A/cm2. This sample is LiMn0.7Ni0.1Co0.2O2 and was sintered under O2 at 923 K for 10 minutes. While the efficiency of the charge/discharge times of the cells vary between 80-100%, the capacity fade follows a more consistent pattern. After 50 cycles, 70-75% of the total capacity is accessible at a charge rate that varies between 1.5C and 2C. Improvements in the capacity fade are being sought through varying the composition of the film and alternate annealing cycles. | |
| Universities: UF | |
| Industry Partner: Planar Energy |
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| This project has been completed. | |
| November 2012 Annual Report November 2011 Annual Report |
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Title: SWNT Based Air Cathodes for Fuel Cells & Metal Air Batteries |
| PI: Andrew G. Rinzler | |
| Description: The goal of this project is to develop and use novel gas diffusion oxygen reducing electrode (air cathode) based on single wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) films in zinc-air batteries and fuel cells. Metal-air batteries, utilizing surrounding air as an inexhaustible cathode material have the highest specific and volumetric energy density of any primary battery system available. Gas diffusion oxygen electrodes, where molecular oxygen is electrocatalytically reduced, are vital to battery and fuel cell performance. The air cathode should be permeable to air or another source of oxygen, but must be substantially hydrophobic so that electrolyte will not leak though it, and have an electrically conductive element connected to external circuitry. Generally, conventional air cathode is a thick multilayer film comprising carbonaceous powder mixed with nanoscale metal catalyst to promote oxygen reduction and hydrophobic polymer additive pressed onto electrically conductive layer. While noble metals such as platinum that are commonly used as catalysts in conventional air cathodes offer the advantages of intrinsic catalytic activity, their deficiency in resource, high costs, and susceptibility to catalyst poisoning, have become a serious concern for commercial applications. An optimized SWNT based air cathode catalyst that would constitute a significant improvement in existing technologies is being developed. This new system avoids precious metals, is not poisoned, is thin, light-weight, and resists electrolyte flooding.Findings to date indicate that the catalyst being developed is competitive with platinum in terms of its oxygen reduction activity in alkaline and neutral pH environments. This makes it suitable for a broad range of power generating devices including alkaline fuel cells, enzyme based biofuel cells, microbial fuel cells, micro-fuel cells, small direct methanol fuel cells and advanced metal-air batteries.Our findings will contribute to making fuel cells economically viable and permit broader implementation of long lived sources of portable power. Platinum is costly because of its actual scarcity on Earth versus its importance and utility in many chemical processes. It has been estimated that if the worlds fleet of 500 million internal combustion vehicles were converted to fuel cell power plants using platinum catalysts (what is used in today’s fuel cells) the world’s supply of platinum would be exhausted in only 15 years (even with recycling). This is perhaps the biggest roadblock to a viable hydrogen economy.Our work involves single wall carbon nanotubes which are themselves costly in today’s market. The difference compared to platinium however is that this is not due to any scarcity of carbon from which nanotubes are made but rather because the motivation for their bulk manufacture (and attendant economy of scale) has been lacking. Our finding may change that equation. | |
| Universities: UF |
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| Industry Partner: nRadiance LLC | |
| This project has been completed. | |
| November 2012 Annual Report November 2011 Annual Report |
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Title: Uni-Directional Impulse Turbine for the Powering of Offshore Monitoring Systems |
| PI: Zhihua Qu Research Interests and Contact Information | |
| Co-PI: Kuo-chi Lin | |
| Description: Numerical modeling and experimental testing of turbine for wave energy conversion. The University of Central Florida and Harris Corporation have joined efforts to design, build and analyze a wave powered abandoned oil well monitoring system for use in the Gulf of Mexico. This system proposes a fully automated oil leak detection system which is self-powered by the local ocean energy which is converted to electricity, conditioned and sent from the surface buoy to the ocean floor to supply power for an abandoned oil well monitoring system. | |
| Universities: UCF |
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| Industry Partner: Harris Corporation |
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| This project has been completed. | |
| November 2012 Annual Report November 2011 Annual Report |
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