Nanocomposites with high thermoelectric figures of merit

The present invention is generally directed to nanocomposite thermoelectric materials that exhibit enhanced thermoelectric properties. The nanocomposite materials include two or more components, with at least one of the components forming nano-sized structures within the composite material. The components are chosen such that thermal conductivity of the composite is decreased without substantially diminishing the composite's electrical conductivity. Suitable component materials exhibit similar electronic band structures. For example, a band-edge gap between at least one of a conduction band or a valence band of one component material and a corresponding band of the other component material at interfaces between the components can be less than about 5k.sub.BT, wherein k.sub.B is the Boltzman constant and T is an average temperature of said nanocomposite composition

Nanocomposites with high thermoelectric figures of merit

The present invention is generally directed to nanocomposite thermoelectric materials that exhibit enhanced thermoelectric properties. The nanocomposite materials include two or more components, with at least one of the components forming nano-sized structures within the composite material. The components are chosen such that thermal conductivity of the composite is decreased without substantially diminishing the composite's electrical conductivity. Suitable component materials exhibit similar electronic band structures. For example, a band-edge gap between at least one of a conduction band or a valence band of one component material and a corresponding band of the other component material at interfaces between the components can be less than about 5k.sub.BT, wherein k.sub.B is the Boltzman constant and T is an average temperature of said nanocomposite composition

A review of cermet-based spectrally selective solar absorbers

Spectrally selective solar absorbers harvest solar energy in the form of heat. Solar absorbers using cermet-based coatings demonstrate a high absorptance of the solar spectrum and a low emittance in the infrared (IR) regime. Extensive work has been done to optimize cermet-based solar absorbers to achieve high performance by exploring different cermet (ceramic–metal composite) materials and film configurations through different preparation techniques such as electrodeposition, sputtering, pulsed laser deposition, and solution-based methods. In this article, we review the progress of cermet-based spectrally selective absorbers with high solar absorptance and low thermal emittance, such as Cr[subscript 2]O[subscript 3], Al[subscript 2]O[subscript 3], AlN, SiO[subscript 2], and ZrO[subscript 2] based cermets as absorption layers. We also present an outlook for cermet-based spectrally selective absorbers with high thermal stability and high conversion efficiency from sunlight to heat.United States. Dept. of Energy (SunShot CSP Grant Award DE-EE0005806

Detailed quantitative description of fluvial reservoirs: A case study of L6-3 Layer of Sandgroup 6 in the second member of Shahejie Formation, Shengtuo Oilfield, China

 The steady development of the oil field is facing severe challenges due to the problems of small-layer division, unclear genesis period and unclear river channel distribution in the 4-6 sand formation in the second district of Shengtuo Oilfield. Based on the processing and optimization of logging data, this paper firstly divided the isochronous strata and established the high-resolution isochronous stratigraphic framework. Using the geo-statistics method in the stratigraphic framework, the sand bodies in each small layer were divided according to the principle of equal time of fluvial facies. On this basis, the distribution pattern of the sand bodies in each stage was simulated by the magnetic random walk model. The magnetic random walk model has obtained robust simulation results, which is consistent with the anatomy of reservoir architectures by experienced geologists. The results also show that the number of channels in each small-layer is different, while the overall distribution of NE direction is reflected. At present, the model can well simulate the position of the main channel line, but it cannot reflect the variation of the river width. The method of quantitative fine description based on logging data has great potential application in fluvial reservoir, especially the magnetic random walk model that can reveal the distribution of sand body in every stage. At the same time, the model can also reflect certain randomness and facilitate the uncertainty analysis of geological factors.Cited as: Li, J., Yan, K., Ren, H., Sun, Z. Detailed quantitative description of fluvial reservoirs: A case study of L6-3 Layer of Sandgroup 6 in the second member of Shahejie Formation, Shengtuo Oilfifield, China. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2020, 4(1): 43-53, doi: 10.26804/ager.2020.01.0