Eco Factor: Diamond-based solar energy generating system.
Using diamonds to generate green electricity seems an extravagant idea but not so to Dr. Neil Fox from the University of Bristol’s School of Chemistry. The researcher has been awarded a €980,000 grant by energy company E.ON to develop a true alternative of photovoltaic systems to generate solar electricity.
The plan is to make use of devices called thermionic energy converters (TECs), which carry special electrodes using nano-particles of industrial diamond powered, which isn’t that expensive and is readily available as well. TECs are commonly used in spacecrafts, where they require temperature well above 1,500˚C to produce sufficient electricity to power the craft.
To make the system feasible for use on the surface of the planet, Dr. Fox replaced the conventional electrodes with diamond-based material that allows the TECs to work at temperatures as low as 320˚C, which can easily be achieved by focusing sunlight using parabolic dishes, which are common in today’s CSP towers generating multi-megawatts of electricity.
Via: University of Bristol [Press Release]
