L R AS Published on Monday 4 May 2020 - n° 320 - Categories:other methods, R&D
Diamond nanowires, a new source of storage?
Researchers from the Queensland University of Technology (Australia) have proposed a new storage design. They propose the use of diamond nanowire (DNT) beams. These provide energy storage capabilities that could revolutionise mechanical and biomedical engineering.
Ultra-thin, one-dimensional carbon yarns store energy when twisted or stretched. They have compared nanostructures to a compressed coil or a children's wind-up toy: "Energy can be released as the twisted beam unwinds".
The potential for energy storage by these nanowires is striking. For the same weight, the energy density of this mechanical storage - i.e. the amount of energy it can store for its mass - is 1.76 MJ per kilogram, three times more than lithium-ion batteries.
Over the next three years, the team wants to build a system to test the twisting and stretching of the nanowire, and thus control the release of energy.
PV Magazine of April 29th
