Johnny Cash ca n’t have known about carbon nanotubes when he tattle about rings of fire , but MIT scientist have shown how they can create electric current — about 100 time as much vigor per building block of weighting as Li - ion battery .
The raw experiment affect nanotubes , or submicroscopic structures just a few billionth of a cadence in diameter , that can conduct both electrical energy and heat . Engineers coated the nanotubes with reactive fuel that produce heat by decay , and then conflagrate it with laser ray or high - voltage electric arc .
That set off a fast - displace estrus wave that move through the carbon nanotube ’s empty cylinder 10,000 times faster than in the reactive fuel itself , and reached a temperature of 4,940 degrees F ( 3,000 Kelvin ) . The fast - move heat also pushed electrons along the thermionic valve and produce a noticeable electrical electric current .
Such burning waves were studied mathematically for a hundred , allot to Michael Strano , a chemical substance engineer at MIT . Strano first predicted that a nanotube or nanowire could transport the warmth pulse and make electrical stream , but now his grouping has realized that prediction .
Some semiconductor materials can also produce an electric flow when heated , but the atomic number 6 nanotube experiments defy prevision by thermoelectric calculations . Strano noted that the heat wave seemed to post along electrons or other electrical charge carriers , not unlike how an ocean wave can pick up debris .
The theory of creating substantial energy on such a tiny scale could head to new ultra - small electronic devices the sizing of rice grains , whether forimplantable medical chipsor othertiny sensorapplications .
Strano ’s MIT group plans to retain improving the efficiency and edit out back on wasted energy given off as warmth and light . Strano also suggested that a different reactive fuel coat for the nanotubes might get jump current — an challenging contrast to current energy - reposition organization that all bring out direct stream .
[ MIT ]
EnergyNanotechnologyNanotubesScience
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