Cleveland State University

University of Illinois

Taysir H Nayfeh

Anita M Wiederholt

Munir H Nayfeh

Gennadiy Belomoin

Adam D Smith

Brian R Fast

Daniel E Raible

When forming ultra-conductive wire, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are dispersed and de-agglomerated in hot metal. The MWCNTs are dispersed in a precursor matrix via mixing and sintering to form precursor material, which is hot-extruded multiple rounds at a predetermined temperature to form a nano-composite material. The nano-composite material is inserted into a metal bar to form a nano-composite billet (), which is subjected to multiple rounds of hot extrusion to form an ultra-conductive material. The ultra-conductive material is subjected to one or more rounds of hot wire drawing to form an ultra-conductive wire comprising a nano-composite filament.

Methods for the development of commercial scale nano-engineered ultraconductive copper wire

Nano-composite structures are formed by pre-loading carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into at least one of a plurality of channels running the length of a cartridge, placing the pre-loaded cartridge in a piston chamber of a die-casting machine, creating a vacuum therein, and filing the piston chamber with molten metal to soak the pre-loaded cartridge and fill empty cartridge channels. Pressure is applied via the piston to eject the carbon nanotubes and molten metal from the cartridge channels and inject the nano-composite mixture into a rod-shaped die cavity. The internal diameter of the cavity is equal to or less than the final diameter of the nozzle. The nano-composite mixture is cooled to form a solid nano-composite rod having the first predetermined diameter, wherein the carbon nanotubes are aligned in a non-random manner. Furthermore, drawing down the nano-composite rod to smaller diameter wire further disperses the nanotubes along the length of the wire.

Nano-engineered ultra-conductive nanocomposite copper wire

Systems and methods are described that employ high-intensity lasers to set up a thin plasma sheet, also called a waveguide or 'hot shell', in the atmosphere as a function of beam intensity and geometry. A laser beam can be spread and directed with physical optics (e.g., lenses, mirrors, other optical elements, etc.) to generate a thin inverted cone-shaped hot shell waveguide in the atmosphere. The hot shell of the waveguide has a different index of refraction (n) from that of the surrounding air layers and as such serves to internally reflect portions of the entering solar rays entering an aperture in the hot shell, toward the tip of the cone and a solar energy storage component positioned there, thus providing a virtual solar energy concentration system. In another embodiment, the solar energy storage component shuts down or otherwise rejects incoming solar energy when fully charged, to mitigate damage to system components.

Laser generated synthetic mega scale aperture for solar energy concentration and harnessing

According to the invention, silicon nanoparticles are applied to a substrate using an electrochemical plating processes, analogous to metal plating. An electrolysis tank of an aqueous or non-aqueous solution, such as alcohol, ether, or other solvents in which the particles are dissolved operates at a current flow between the electrodes. In applying silicon nanoparticles to a silicon, metal, or non-conducting substrate, a selective area plating may be accomplished by defining areas of different conductivity on the substrate. Silicon nanoparticle composite platings and stacked alternating material platings are also possible. The addition of metal ions into the silicon nanoparticle solution produces a composite material plating. Either composite silicon nanoparticle platings or pure silicon nanoparticle platings may be stacked with each other or with convention metal platings.

Growing community of inventors

Cleveland, OH, United States of America

Taysir H Nayfeh