Nanohybr1Ds: Hybrids composed of carbon nanotubes and metallic nanowires for harvesting energy from waste heat

About the project

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Title: Nanohybr1Ds: Hybrids composed of carbon nanotubes and metallic nanowires for harvesting energy from waste heat

Project number: LIDER/0001/L-8/16/NCBR/2017

Funding organization: National Center for Research and Development

Implementation period: 01/04/2018 - 31/12/2021

Even though we live in a time when the energy demand increases at an alarming rate, more than half of what we produce goes to waste. Ineffective energy management produces vast amounts of waste heat, which accelerates the so-called global warming to a large extent. Ranging from power plants, through cards to small mobile electrical appliances, we can notice that we generate waste heat at every possible scale, which “evaporates away” into the surrounding atmosphere. It is notably irresponsible because we can make use of it and convert it back to valuable electrical energy by employing the thermoelectric effect.

The goal of the project Nanohybr1Ds was to create new nanohybrids of carbon nanotubes and metallic nanowires (materials of quasi-1D structure) capable of generating electricity from waste heat. The key was in employing the synergistic effect of their individual properties, which enabled optimization of critical parameters needed for high efficiency.

This project aimed to develop innovative technology for manufacturing thermoelectric cells and arrays to be tested in a relevant environment. The created product constitutes an important contribution to improving the low efficiency of energy management in many branches of industry and everyday life.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The objective of the Leader program targeted at young Polish scientists is to help them learn how to plan research on their own, manage and lead their research team while carrying out projects likely to be implemented on the market. Applicants must apply together with some private or public scientific institution engaged in R&D activities.

Results of the project

The realization of the project provided a proof of concept that nanostructured systems based on carbon nanotubes have a considerable application potential for thermoelectrics. This is documented by a series of peer-reviewed publications: