Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
Nanoscale. 2016 Aug 14;8(30):14600-7. doi: 10.1039/c6nr03921a. Epub 2016 Jul 19.
Among various utilizations of solar energy, solar-thermal conversion has recently gained renewed research interest due to its extremely high energy efficiency. However, one limiting factor common to all solar-based energy conversion technologies is the intermittent nature of solar irradiation, which makes them unable to stand-alone to satisfy the continuous energy need. Herein, we report a three-dimensional (3D) graphene foam and phase change material (PCM) composite for the seamlessly combined solar-thermal conversion and thermal storage for sustained energy release. The composite is obtained by infiltrating the 3D graphene foam with a commonly used PCM, paraffin wax. The high macroporosity and low density of the graphene foam allow for high weight fraction of the PCM to be incorporated, which enhances the heat storage capacity of the composite. The interconnected graphene sheets in the composite provide (1) the solar-thermal conversion capability, (2) high thermal conductivity and (3) form stability of the composite. Under light irradiation, the composite effectively collects and converts the light energy into thermal energy, and the converted thermal energy is stored in the PCM and released in an elongated period of time for sustained utilization. This study provides a promising route for sustainable utilization of solar energy.
在太阳能的各种利用方式中，太阳能热转换由于其极高的能量效率最近重新引起了研究兴趣。然而，所有基于太阳能的能量转换技术都存在一个共同的限制因素，即太阳辐射的间歇性，这使得它们无法独立满足连续的能源需求。在此，我们报告了一种三维（3D）石墨烯泡沫和相变材料（PCM）复合材料，用于无缝结合太阳能热转换和热能存储，以持续释放能量。该复合材料是通过将 3D 石墨烯泡沫浸入常用的相变材料石蜡中来获得的。石墨烯泡沫的高多孔率和低密度允许高重量分数的 PCM 被掺入，从而提高了复合材料的储热能力。复合材料中的相互连接的石墨烯片提供了（1）太阳能热转换能力，（2）高热导率和（3）复合材料的形态稳定性。在光照射下，复合材料有效地收集并将光能转化为热能，并且转化的热能被储存在 PCM 中，并在延长的时间内释放，以进行持续利用。本研究为太阳能的可持续利用提供了一条有前途的途径。
