Nanostructured Functional Materials for Energy Efficient Refrigeration, Energy Harvesting and Production of Hydrogen from Water.

Completed

Energy Efficiency(Residential and commercial)
Renewable Energy Sources(Solar Energy, Solar heating and cooling (including daylighting))
Renewable Energy Sources(Solar Energy, Photovoltaics)
Renewable Energy Sources(Other Renewables)
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells(Hydrogen, Hydrogen production)
Energy Efficiency(Industry)

Basic and strategic applied research

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Chemistry)
PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Metallurgy and Materials)

Not Cross-cutting

Professor N Alford
Materials
Imperial College London

Standard

EPSRC

01 October 2009

31 July 2015

70 months

£3,868,581

Energy

London

Physical Sciences

Professor N Alford, Materials, Imperial College London

Professor LF Cohen, Department of Physics (the Blackett Laboratory), Imperial College London
Professor N Harrison, Chemistry, Imperial College London

Project Contact, Ames Laboratory, USA
Project Contact, National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
Project Contact, The Welding Institute
Project Contact, Netzsch Instruments
Project Contact, IFW Dresden, Germany
Project Contact, STFC Daresbury Laboratory
Project Contact, University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia
Project Contact, Camfridge Ltd
Project Contact, Ericsson, Sweden
Project Contact, Argyll College
Project Contact, University of Cambridge

This program is about using nanostructured materials to address key areas in energy related applications. This proposal will deliver world class materials science through ambitious thin and thick film development and analysis and the proposal targets the EPSRC strategic areas "Energy" and "Nanoscience through nanoengineering." The programme grant will provide the opportunity to integrate three well established research areas that currently operate independently of each other and will establish a new consortium of activities. Collectively they offer the essential ingredients to move this particular field forward. The planned program of work is timely because of the convergence of modelling capability, precision multilayer oxide growth expertise and nanofabrication facilities.The overall vision for the Programme Grant is focussed on Energy. Within the Programme we aim to find means of reducing energy consumption for example by using electro and magnetocaloric means of cooling; generating energy by use of nanoscale rectifying antennas and finally storing energy by photocatalytic splitting of hydrogen from water.Our program is divided into two themed areas:1) Nanostructured oxides for Energy Efficient Refrigeration with 2 project areasElectrocaloricsMagnetocalorics2) Nanostructured oxides for energy production and storage with 2 project areasSolar HarvestingPhotocatalysisThis research will enable :- The development of new materials, new material architectures and new device concepts for energy refrigeration and energy harvesting. The synergy across a range of programs particularly the underpinning activities of materials theory, modelling and characterisation will move these important fields closer to application.- The research will also enable a new forum to be established, with representation from UK and European scientists and industrialists so that broad discussions can be held to enable moving these fields forward. We place a significantemphasis on training, outreach and knowledge transfer.The research challenges that need to be addressed are:- Designing physical systems that are close to an instability so that small external perturbations from magnetic or electric fields, optical or thermal excitation will tip the system into a new ground state- Optimising control over (strain, defects, doping inhomogeneity, disorder) and first layer effects in thin film oxides (with thicknesses of the order of 10nm or less) so that we candevelop the capability to tune the band gap of the oxide using directed modelling and targeted growth control

09/09/09