Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120000293 | Nanofiber Actuators and Strain Amplifiers - Nanofiber actuators and strain amplifiers having a material that generates a force or generates a displacement when directly or indirectly electrically driven. This material is an aerogel or a related low density or high density network comprising conducting fibers that are electrically interconnected and can substantially actuate without the required presence of either a liquid or solid electrolyte. Reversible or permanently frozen actuation is used to modify the properties of the actuator material for applications. | 01-05-2012 |
20120100203 | Fabrication of Biscrolled Fiber Using Carbon Nanotube Sheet - Fabrication of yarns or other shaped articles from materials in powder form (or nanoparticles or nanofibers) using carbon nanotube/nanofiber sheet as a platform (template). This includes methods for fabricating biscrolled yarns using carbon nanotube/nanofiber sheets and biscrolled fibers fabricated thereby. | 04-26-2012 |
20130240027 | MULTIJUNCTION HYBRID SOLAR CELL WITH PARALLEL CONNECTION AND NANOMATERIAL CHARGE COLLECTING INTERLAYERS - A tandem (or multijunction) hybrid photovoltaic device (PV) device comprised of multiple stacked single PVs connected in parallel with each other is described herein. Furthermore, nanomaterials are used as transparent charge collecting electrodes that allow both parallel connection via anode interlayer and also “inverted parallel” connection via cathode type interlayer of different types of solar cells. Carbon nanotube sheets are used as a convenient example for the charge collecting electrodes. The development of these alternative interconnecting layers simplifies the process and may be also used for combined organic PVs with traditional inorganic PVs and Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC). In addition, novel architectures are enabled that allow the parallel connection of the stacked PVs into monolithic multi-junction PV tandems. This new monolithic parallel connection architecture enables enhanced absorption of the solar spectrum and results in increased power conversions efficiency. Moreover, architectures where cells are stacked monolithically using a series connection can be coupled with cells to create mixed series and parallel connected tandem cells. | 09-19-2013 |
20130240847 | MONOLITHIC PARALLEL MULTIJUNCTION OLED WITH INDEPENDENT TUNABLE COLOR EMISSION - A tandem organic light emitting diode (OLED) device comprised of multiple stacked single OLEDs electrically connected in parallel via transparent interlayer is recited herein. Transparent interlayers are coated by charge injection layers in order to enhance the charge injection efficiency and decrease the operation voltage. Transparent nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotube sheets (or graphene, graphene ribbons and similar conductive transparent nano-carbon forms) are used as Interlayers or outer electrodes. Furthermore, functionalization of carbon nanotubes inter layers by n-doping (or p-doping) converts them into common cathode (or common anode), further decreasing operation voltage of tandem. The development of these alternative interconnecting layers comprised of nanomaterials simplifies the process and may be combined with traditional OLED devices. In addition, novel architectures are enabled that allow the parallel connection of the stacked OLEDs into monolithic multi-junction OLED tandems. | 09-19-2013 |
20140150859 | IONICALLY RECONFIGURABLE ORGANIC PHOTOVOLTAIC AND PHOTONIC DEVICES WITH TUNABLE COMMON ELECTRODE - The present invention is directed to a novel type of monolithic hybrid technology. The invention is directed to photonic devices with a minimum of three (3) electrodes and by an inventive process for incorporating mobile ions into organic components of high performance organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, organic photodetectors and other hybrid photonic devices (such as tandems of OPV), through a novel unique device architecture of a hybrid “Ionic-NT-OPV” structure, in which the ionic components are separated from the OPV by a common nanoporous charge collecting electrode (symbolically depicted as a nanotube: NT), permeable to ions of ionic component inside an inter-connected microchamber. | 06-05-2014 |
20140263278 | SOLAR SELECTIVE MULTILAYER COATING - The present invention provides a method for making a highly efficient and inexpensive solar selective coating. Coating consists of various carbon nanotube sheets composite layers, each performing a specific function by incorporating functional materials and components with proper structure. Joule heating of the described solar selective coating allows for efficient functionality even when solar energy is not available. | 09-18-2014 |
20150040888 | INTEGRATION OF PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS INSIDE EVACUATED TUBE SOLAR COLLECTOR FOR STORAGE AND TRANSFER OF THERMAL ENERGY - An objective of the invention is to design and develop an effective method to collect and store heat in a solar collector for delayed release. An embodiment of the invention is directed to an evacuated tube collector, where PCM is placed directly inside the void space of the collector tube, next to the heat pipe. The heat pipe is located with phase change material (PCM) in such a way that its thermal connection with the heat pipe can be switched “ON” to start heat transfer from PCM or “OFF” to keep latent heat stored in PCM for delayed usage. In additional, flow of heat exchange fluid through the manifold can enable release of stored heat of PCM to storage tank. Delayed release of accumulated heat in PCM enables added functionality of on-demand operation of SWH. | 02-12-2015 |
20150147573 | NANOFIBER RIBBONS AND SHEETS AND FABRICATION AND APPLICATION THEREOF - The present invention is directed to nanofiber yarns, ribbons, and sheets; to methods of making said yarns, ribbons, and sheets; and to applications of said yarns, ribbons, and sheets. In some embodiments, the nanotube yarns, ribbons, and sheets comprise carbon nanotubes. Particularly, such carbon nanotube yarns of the present invention provide unique properties and property combinations such as extreme toughness, resistance to failure at knots, high electrical and thermal conductivities, high absorption of energy that occurs reversibly, up to 13% strain-to-failure compared with the few percent strain-to-failure of other fibers with similar toughness, very high resistance to creep, retention of strength even when heated in air at 450° C. for one hour, and very high radiation and UV resistance, even when irradiated in air. Furthermore these nanotube yarns can be spun as one micron diameter yarns and plied at will to make two-fold, four-fold, and higher fold yarns. Additional embodiments provide for the spinning of nanofiber sheets having arbitrarily large widths. In still additional embodiments, the present invention is directed to applications and devices that utilize and/or comprise the nanofiber yarns, ribbons, and sheets of the present invention. | 05-28-2015 |