Nanotechnology for Alternative Energy Sources

Nanotechnology (sometimes referred to as simply Nanotech) is essentially the study of the control of matter on an atomic and molecular scale (100 nanometers or smaller). The science of nanotechnology involves developing materials or devices with wide ranging applications including energy production.

Creating devices smaller than 100 nanometers has led to the development of many new ways to harness, store, and transfer energy. Benefits of this new technology have already been utilised in a variety of mainstream designs offering increased efficiency of lighting and heating products and increased electrical storage capacity of devices.

Over the last few decades our energy consumption needs have increased dramatically while our energy production has remained fairly constant. The US has traditionally relied on imports of fossil fuel to satisfy energy needs. Finding an alternative energy source has become an economic priority and nanatechnology will most likely lead the way in terms of making alternative energy sources economically viable.

Examples of nantechnology use with alternative energy production

• Methanol - a potential alternative fuel, methanol can be produced from municipal waste and biomass and when combined with steam can produce hydrogen (another clean alternative fuel). This process requires the use of a metal catalyst for efficiency. The materials used for the catalyst are extremely important and using advanced tunnelling microscopes, nanotech companies can study the effects of catalysts and create new materials to improve efficiency.
• Battery design - the present battery technology using conventional materials has been a severe limiting factor on the performance of electric vehicles. However using nanotech lithium ion battery materials, Altair Nanotechnologies, Inc has promised performance from an all-electric vehicle to rival performance and comfort of today’s internal combustion-engine cars. A sedan with a 200-plus-mile range and a recharge time of under 6 minutes using a battery that is completely safe from explosion, with an estimated 15-20 years lifespan and producing no carbon dioxide emissions of any kind!
• Power transmission - NASA has just awarded a contract to the Carbon Nanotechnology Laboratory at Rice university to produce a one meter length of carbon nanotube wire. this wire will be around one sixth of the weight of conventional copper cable and be over ten times more efficient in the conduction of electricity. Constructed of tiny, molecular cylinders formed purely of carbon atoms, these nanotubes lare much more resistant to heat and could also revolutionise the electronics industry allowing them to create faster processors by replacing copper interconnects with nanotubes. This technology in the near future could be used to construct power transmission lines built from carbon nanotubes that could conduct electricity across great distances without loss, this could make remote alternative power options such as desert based solar and wind collector farms commercially viable.

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