Engineering: 3rd Place (The Ohio State University Denman Undergraduate Research Forum)In 2013, the United States generated 4 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity, of which 67% was from fossil fuels. Nanofluidic pressure-to-potential, nanoP2P, converters are a possible clean source of energy that could reduce the United States’ consumption of fossil fuels by harvesting waste pressure to generate usable electrical potential. Traffic lights, street lights, and highway lights consume approximately 32 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, a significant cost that could be reduced by an clean, alternative source of energy. As envisioned, nanoP2P converters would collect waste pressure from movement, such as traffic or individual walking motion, and apply it over a bank of nanochannels filled with ionic solution. The pressure-driven flow of ions through the nanochannels generates a streaming potential that can be harnessed as electrical power. Prior research on nanoP2P converters with induced fluidic slip determined a theoretical maximum power conversion efficiency of 70%, however, the greatest reported efficiencies are only around 1%. The objective of this project is to design and implement a testing system that will apply 85 psi from a compressed air valve to simulate the waste pressure streams that would be found in the projected end-use. To ensure a reliable system, tubing attaches the compressed air source to a T-connector, which interfaces with the device fabricated in the Microsystems and Nanosystems Laboratory. The T-shaped connector is bonded to the device with epoxy to form a leak-free seal with the input reservoir. This is ongoing research with details on system performance to be discussed during the poster presentation at the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum. By implementing a reliable testing system, nanoP2P converters are accurately evaluated for efficiency of power conversion.Academic Major: Mechanical Engineerin
