Patent application number | Description | Published |
20140166103 | Broadband Metamaterial Absorbers - Broadband metamaterial absorbers are disclosed. In some embodiments, a photovoltaic cell includes a light absorbing layer capable of absorbing solar energy and converting the absorbed energy into electrical current; a perforated conductive film disposed on a light absorbing surface of the light absorbing layer, the conductive film being configured to increase light absorption in the light absorbing layer; and a rear electrode disposed on a surface of the absorbing layer opposite to the light absorbing surface of the light absorbing layer, wherein the rear electrode and the conductive film are in electrical communication with the absorbing layer to collect electrical current generated in the light absorbing material. | 06-19-2014 |
20140186209 | THERMOELECTRIC SKUTTERUDITE COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME - Compositions related to skutterudite-based thermoelectric materials are disclosed. Such compositions can result in materials that have enhanced ZT values relative to one or more bulk materials from which the compositions are derived. Thermoelectric materials such as n-type and p-type skutterudites with high thermoelectric figures-of-merit can include materials with filler atoms and/or materials formed by compacting particles (e.g., nanoparticles) into a material with a plurality of grains each having a portion having a skutterudite-based structure. Methods of forming thermoelectric skutterudites, which can include the use of hot press processes to consolidate particles, are also disclosed. The particles to be consolidated can be derived from (e.g., grinded from), skutterudite-based bulk materials, elemental materials, other non-Skutterudite-based materials, or combinations of such materials. | 07-03-2014 |
20140366924 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF HIGH THERMOELECTRIC PERFORMANCE DOPED-SnTe MATERIALS - A thermoelectric composition comprising tin (Sn), tellurium (Te) and at least one dopant that comprises a peak dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) of 1.1 and a Seebeck coefficient of at least 50 μV/K and a method of manufacturing the thermoelectric composition. A plurality of components are disposed in a ball-milling vessel, wherein the plurality of components comprise tin (Sn), tellurium (Te), and at least one dopant such as indium (In). The components are subsequently mechanically and thermally processed, for example, by hot-pressing. In response to the mechanical-thermally processing, a thermoelectric composition is formed, wherein the thermoelectric composition comprises a dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) of the thermoelectric composition is at least 0.8, and wherein a Seebeck coefficient of the thermoelectric composition is at least 50 μV/K at any temperature. | 12-18-2014 |
20140377120 | FORMATION OF P-TYPE FILLED SKUTTERUDITE BY BALL-MILLING AND THERMO-MECHANICAL PROCESSING - A method of manufacturing a thermoelectric material comprising: ball-milling a compound comprising a plurality of components, the first component M comprising at least one of a rare earth metal, an actinide, an alkaline-earth metal, and an alkali metal, the second component T comprising a metal of subgroup VIII, and the third component X comprises a pnictogen atom. The compound may be ball-milled for up to 5 hours, and then thermo-mechanically processed by, for example, hot pressing the compound for less than two hours. Subsequent to the thermo-mechanical processing, the compound comprises a single filled skutterudite phase with a dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) above 1.0 and the compound has a composition following a formula of MT | 12-25-2014 |
20140377579 | Metallic Nanomesh - A transparent flexible nanomesh having at least one conductive element and sheet resistance less than 300Ω/□ when stretched to a strain of 200% in at least one direction. The nanomesh is formed by depositing a sacrificial film, depositing, etching, and oxidizing a first metal layer on the film, etching the sacrificial film, depositing a second metal layer, and removing the first metal layer to form a nanomesh on the substrate. | 12-25-2014 |
20140377901 | FABRICATION OF STABLE ELECTRODE/DIFFUSION BARRIER LAYERS FOR THERMOELECTRIC FILLED SKUTTERUDITE DEVICES - Disclosed are methods for the manufacture of n-type and p-type filled skutterudite thermoelectric legs of an electrical contact. A first material of CoSi | 12-25-2014 |
20150015960 | Gradient SiNO Anti-Reflective Layers in Solar Selective Coatings - A solar selective coating includes a substrate, a cermet layer having nanoparticles therein deposited on the substrate, and an anti-reflection layer deposited on the cermet layer. The cermet layer and the anti-reflection layer may each be formed of intermediate layers. A method for constructing a solar-selective coating is disclosed and includes preparing a substrate, depositing a cermet layer on the substrate, and depositing an anti-reflection layer on the cermet layer. | 01-15-2015 |
20150031582 | Volatile Organic Gases as Bioindicators for Transplant Rejection - A method comprising (a) obtaining one or more biological samples from a subject wherein the subject has undergone an organ transplant; (b) determining the amount and type of one or more volatile organic compounds in the biological sample; and (c) correlating the amount of volatile organic compounds to a degree of transplant rejection. A device comprising a plurality of sensors configured to detect a plurality of volatile organic compounds in a biological sample of a subject having undergone an organ transplant. | 01-29-2015 |
20150068574 | METHODS FOR HIGH FIGURE-OF-MERIT IN NANOSTRUCTURED THERMOELECTRIC MATERIALS - Thermoelectric materials with high figures of merit, ZT values, are disclosed. In many instances, such materials include nano-sized domains (e.g., nanocrystalline), which are hypothesized to help increase the ZT value of the material (e.g., by increasing phonon scattering due to interfaces at grain boundaries or grain/inclusion boundaries). The ZT value of such materials can be greater than about 1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.8, 2 and even higher. Such materials can be manufactured from a thermoelectric starting material by generating nanoparticles therefrom, or mechanically alloyed nanoparticles from elements which can be subsequently consolidated (e.g., via direct current induced hot press) into a new bulk material. Non-limiting examples of starting materials include bismuth, lead, and/or silicon-based materials, which can be alloyed, elemental, and/or doped. Various compositions and methods relating to aspects of nanostructured theromoelectric materials (e.g., modulation doping) are further disclosed. | 03-12-2015 |