Ionic Liquids and Solids - New Designs, Insights and Applications. Ionic Materials in the form of liquid salts and plastic crystals are of interest in a wide range of applications including environmentally benign synthesis of chemicals and high stability electrolytes for batteries, capacitors and other devices. These materials represent some of the most stable chemicals known, making them attractive for any application where complete stability and recycling are issues. Building on our recent wor ....Ionic Liquids and Solids - New Designs, Insights and Applications. Ionic Materials in the form of liquid salts and plastic crystals are of interest in a wide range of applications including environmentally benign synthesis of chemicals and high stability electrolytes for batteries, capacitors and other devices. These materials represent some of the most stable chemicals known, making them attractive for any application where complete stability and recycling are issues. Building on our recent work, this project will design, prepare and characterize novel materials of this type for a number of target applications. Collaborators in Europe and USA will be involved in the analysis and testing of the materials.Read moreRead less
Modifying Structure and Properties of Carbon Nanotubes for Device Applications (MWN). The focus of this project is to develop new heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube materials for use in conjugated-polymer composite photovoltaic cells. Synthesis of boron and of nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by the US researchers will be complemented by ion-implantation post-synthesis of CNTs by the Australian team, to gain a thorough and detailed understanding of how the CNTs can act effectively as both an ....Modifying Structure and Properties of Carbon Nanotubes for Device Applications (MWN). The focus of this project is to develop new heteroatom-doped carbon nanotube materials for use in conjugated-polymer composite photovoltaic cells. Synthesis of boron and of nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by the US researchers will be complemented by ion-implantation post-synthesis of CNTs by the Australian team, to gain a thorough and detailed understanding of how the CNTs can act effectively as both an electron acceptor and charge transport medium in a conjugated polymer. Outcomes will include fundamental advances in our understanding of charge transport in the composite devices and prototype organic photovoltaic devices of improved efficiency.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence - Australian Centre for Electromaterials Science. The Centre will tackle some of the biggest challenges facing society: those of renewable energy, sustainable industries and enhancing human health. Improvements in all these areas are possible by developing electromaterials with improved efficiency in the generation and transfer of electrical charge. By developing new nano-materials and new theories to explain their behaviour, the Centre will make advances in the areas ....ARC Centre of Excellence - Australian Centre for Electromaterials Science. The Centre will tackle some of the biggest challenges facing society: those of renewable energy, sustainable industries and enhancing human health. Improvements in all these areas are possible by developing electromaterials with improved efficiency in the generation and transfer of electrical charge. By developing new nano-materials and new theories to explain their behaviour, the Centre will make advances in the areas of human health through the regeneration of damaged nerves (eg. in spinal injury) and development of artificial muscles; in renewable energy (plastic solar cells, lightweight batteries and electronic textiles) and in sustainable industries (recovery of precious metals and new corrosion protection technologies).Read moreRead less
A 60% efficient solar microconcentrator for electricity and hot water. The aim of this project is to develop a microconcentrator for deployment on house roofs that will produce both solar hot water and solar electricity with a combined efficiency above 60%. The system will have a low profile and will be nearly invisible from the street. The system will track the sun. Concentration will be accomplished by a mixture of refraction and reflection. About 20% of the sunlight will be converted to elect ....A 60% efficient solar microconcentrator for electricity and hot water. The aim of this project is to develop a microconcentrator for deployment on house roofs that will produce both solar hot water and solar electricity with a combined efficiency above 60%. The system will have a low profile and will be nearly invisible from the street. The system will track the sun. Concentration will be accomplished by a mixture of refraction and reflection. About 20% of the sunlight will be converted to electricity using lines of tiny solar cells, with the balance being converted to heat which is removed by cooling fluid and stored in hot water tanks.Read moreRead less
Nanostructured Silicon-Based Tandem Solar Cells. The expected outcome from the project is a new generation of low-cost silicon solar cell that will significantly reduce the costs of generating electricity from sunlight. Solar cells are presently the world's most rapidly growing energy source, with Australians and Australian companies already major players in the associated rapidly expanding industry. Solar cells represent the most benign technology yet suggested for supplying the world's future ....Nanostructured Silicon-Based Tandem Solar Cells. The expected outcome from the project is a new generation of low-cost silicon solar cell that will significantly reduce the costs of generating electricity from sunlight. Solar cells are presently the world's most rapidly growing energy source, with Australians and Australian companies already major players in the associated rapidly expanding industry. Solar cells represent the most benign technology yet suggested for supplying the world's future energy needs. A cleaner environment in the future than would otherwise be likely is another expected outcome as is the creation of major new opportunities for Australian industry.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354551
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$20,000.00
Summary
ARC Research Network for Renewable Energy. The proposed Research Network will integrate and coordinate the entire research field of renewable energy in Australia. This Network covers a diverse range of technologies, and includes all prominent researchers in the area of renewable energy in Australia. The Network is strengthened by the inclusion of key people from government agencies, industry, industry associations and international research organisations.
Australia is a leading player in the ....ARC Research Network for Renewable Energy. The proposed Research Network will integrate and coordinate the entire research field of renewable energy in Australia. This Network covers a diverse range of technologies, and includes all prominent researchers in the area of renewable energy in Australia. The Network is strengthened by the inclusion of key people from government agencies, industry, industry associations and international research organisations.
Australia is a leading player in the world's renewable energy industry. An effective structure for networking and for the exchange of people, information and research results will maintain and improve Australia's position in this rapidly growing industry.Read moreRead less
Inception of a Practical, Biomimetic, Flexible Photovoltaic Device. This project will design and synthesise new, complex, functional organic molecules and assemble them to create a new type of photovoltaic cell. This device will be designed using biomimetic principles to emulate many of the efficient photosynthetic solar energy conversion processes that occur in plants. A key feature is that near atomic-level control will be achieved over the entire device structure, facilitating the establish ....Inception of a Practical, Biomimetic, Flexible Photovoltaic Device. This project will design and synthesise new, complex, functional organic molecules and assemble them to create a new type of photovoltaic cell. This device will be designed using biomimetic principles to emulate many of the efficient photosynthetic solar energy conversion processes that occur in plants. A key feature is that near atomic-level control will be achieved over the entire device structure, facilitating the establishment of a clear path towards the commercial production of solar cells that are simultaneously highly efficient, long lasting, flexible, and very cheap to manufacture.Read moreRead less
Next generation evaporated and laser diode processed thin-film silicon-on-glass solar cells. The project targets a new generation of low-cost silicon solar cell that will significantly reduce the costs of generating electricity from sunlight by depositing cells onto glass as it comes from a glass factory. Solar cells are presently the world's most rapidly growing energy source, with Australians and Australian companies already major players in the associated rapidly expanding industry. Solar cel ....Next generation evaporated and laser diode processed thin-film silicon-on-glass solar cells. The project targets a new generation of low-cost silicon solar cell that will significantly reduce the costs of generating electricity from sunlight by depositing cells onto glass as it comes from a glass factory. Solar cells are presently the world's most rapidly growing energy source, with Australians and Australian companies already major players in the associated rapidly expanding industry. Solar cells represent the cleanest and most acceptable technology yet suggested for supplying the world's future energy needs. A cleaner future environment than otherwise likely is another expected outcome as is the creation of major new opportunities for Australian industry.Read moreRead less
Development of polycrystalline silicon thin-film photovoltaic devices on glass. This project addresses a range of key issues relevant to crystalline silicon solar cells bound by the common feature of reducing the cost of solar photovoltaic electricity by fabricating thin films of good-quality polycrystalline silicon on cheap glass substrates. The project is significant because thin-film polycrystalline silicon solar cells on glass can dramatically lower the cost of solar electricity. However, ....Development of polycrystalline silicon thin-film photovoltaic devices on glass. This project addresses a range of key issues relevant to crystalline silicon solar cells bound by the common feature of reducing the cost of solar photovoltaic electricity by fabricating thin films of good-quality polycrystalline silicon on cheap glass substrates. The project is significant because thin-film polycrystalline silicon solar cells on glass can dramatically lower the cost of solar electricity. However, at present such cells are not yet produced industrially. This project is expected to lead to major scientific/technical advances with this hugely promising power generation technology, and to bring forward the industrial mass production of these urgently needed devices.Read moreRead less
High efficiency thin-film gallium arsenide solar cells. Recent developments in GaAs-based solar cells have led to efficiencies above 30%. Widespread adoption of GaAs-based solar cells for space applications has also brought about large reductions in material costs. However, GaAs cells are still much more expensive than silicon cells. This application addresses the development of a manufacturable technique for lifting off thin films of GaAs. This approach allows a significantly reduced cost due ....High efficiency thin-film gallium arsenide solar cells. Recent developments in GaAs-based solar cells have led to efficiencies above 30%. Widespread adoption of GaAs-based solar cells for space applications has also brought about large reductions in material costs. However, GaAs cells are still much more expensive than silicon cells. This application addresses the development of a manufacturable technique for lifting off thin films of GaAs. This approach allows a significantly reduced cost due to reduced materials usage, while maintaining high efficiency. Light-trapping for lifted-off cells will also be developed, which will allow the theoretical limit to performance to be approached, and fundamental processes in GaAs to be investigated.
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