Materials World Network: Microstructural Design for Enhanced Efficiency in Solid State Energy Conversion

材料世界网络：提高固态能量转换效率的微观结构设计

• 批准号: 1108396
• 负责人: Joseph Ross, Jr.
• 金额: $ 42万
• 依托单位: Texas A&M University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-09-15 至 2015-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1108396&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Materials; World; Network; Microstructural; Design; Materials; World; Network; Microstructural; Design

A collaboration between Texas A&M University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, investigates the microstructural design of magnetic shape memory alloys (MSMAs) tailored for highly efficient energy conversion. The thermoelastic coupling inherent in these materials provides a route to considerable energy-saving devices based on harvesting of otherwise wasted mechanical work. With the addition of magnetic and electronic couplings, MSMAs as multicaloric materials offer many possibilities for conversion into useful forms of energy. It has also recently been shown that the thermo-elastic process can be harnessed for refrigeration, with large theoretical efficiency gain as compared to current technology. The researchers implement a comprehensive program to study the magneto-thermo-mechanical coupling in MSMAs. The US team collaborates with the Chinese group to fabricate materials with a wide range of controlled microstructures and orientations (single crystals, bi-crystals, controlled texture) and characterize the magneto-thermo-mechanical behavior as a function of processing parameters and microstructural features related to grain size, particle size, volume fraction, morphology, and texture. This is paired with a detailed characterization of the magnetic structure and its coupling to the microstructure. The overall goal is to overcome current material shortcomings, e.g., reduce the transformation hysteresis, increase the toughness, and improve the actuation stress. An important practical target is to achieve inexpensive MSMAs based on controlled solidification and microstructure design, thus providing a highly efficient platform for energy conversion applications. The research not only advances the fundamental understanding of the multi-functional alloys, but highly efficient MSMAs can potentially revolutionize the field of solid-state cooling. Education benefits include the participation of US students in the international research activities at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, one of the leading materials research universities in China, as well as the establishment of a joint degree program between Texas A&M and Shanghai Jiao Tong universities. The work of the Chinese investigators is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

德克萨斯州A＆M大学与中国上海副大学之间的合作调查了针对高效的能量转换量身定制的磁性记忆合金（MSMA）的微结构设计。 这些材料固有的热弹性耦合为基于收集原本浪费的机械工作的收获提供了可观节能设备的途径。随着磁和电子耦合的添加，MSMA作为多材料材料提供了许多转化为有用的能量形式的可能性。最近还显示，与当前技术相比，可以利用热弹性过程来制冷，理论上的效率很大。研究人员实施了一项综合计划，以研究MSMAS中的磁透明机械耦合。美国团队与中国团体合作，以各种受控的微观结构和方向（单晶，双晶体，受控纹理）制造材料，并表征磁透明机械行为，这是处理参数的函数，以及与晶粒尺寸，粒度，体积，体积分数，形式和教学相关的处理参数的函数。这与磁性结构及其与微结构的耦合的详细表征配对。总体目标是克服当前的物质缺点，例如减少转化磁滞，增加韧性并改善驱动压力。一个重要的实际目标是基于受控凝固和微观结构设计实现廉价的MSMA，从而为能量转换应用提供了高效的平台。该研究不仅可以提高对多功能合金的基本理解，而且高效的MSMA可以潜在地彻底改变固态冷却领域。教育益处包括美国学生参加上海若昂大学的国际研究活动，这是中国领先的材料研究工具之一，以及德克萨斯州A＆M和上海jiao Tong大学之间的联合学位计划。中国调查人员的工作得到了中国国家自然科学基金会的支持。