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IIT Bombay has developed a new material called nanostructured hard-carbon florets (NCFs), which has achieved an unprecedented solar-thermal conversion efficiency of over 87 percent. Read the full details here!
New Delhi: IIT Bombay has developed nanostructured hard-carbon florets (NCFs) which has achieved an unprecedented solar-thermal conversion efficiency of over 87 percent.
These NCFs developed by IIT Bombay have shown an unprecedented solar-thermal conversion efficiency of over 87%. It absorbs more than 97% of the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared components of sunlight and converts this efficiently into thermal energy. The heat thus produced can be effectively transferred to either air or water for practical applications. The study demonstrated that NCFs heat the air from room temperature to 60 degrees Celsius and can thereby provide smoke-free space-heating solutions. “This is particularly relevant for heating spaces located in cold climatic conditions that receive abundant sunshine such as Leh and Ladakh,” says Prof. C. Subramaniam from the Department of Chemistry, IIT Bombay and an author of this study.
According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India, an estimated 40 million or 2.5% of households in India already use solar water heaters. However, commonly available solar heat absorbers are often expensive, bulky, and potentially harmful to the environment. “Conventional coatings and materials for solar-thermal conversion are based on chromium (Cr) or nickel (Ni) films. While anodized chromium is a heavy metal and toxic to the environment, both Cr and Ni-films exhibit solar-thermal conversion efficiencies ranging anywhere between 60-70%. In fact, the best commercial ones in the market operate at 70% solar-thermal conversion efficiencies,” remarks Dr. Ananya Sah, the lead author of the study that developed the NCF.
NCFs on the other hand, are made primarily of carbon, are inexpensive to produce, environment-friendly, and easy to use. Vacuum jackets, which are required for other solar heat absorbers to work and are challenging to maintain, are also not required with NCF coatings.
Dr Ananya Sah, the lead author of the NCF study, said, "Conventional coatings and materials for solar-thermal conversion are based on chromium (Cr) or nickel (Ni) films. While anodized chromium is a heavy metal and toxic to the environment, both Cr and Ni films exhibit solar-thermal conversion efficiencies ranging from 60 to 70 percent. In fact, the best commercial ones in the market operate at 70 percent solar-thermal conversion efficiencies."
The groundbreaking study is supported by the Swarna Jayanti Fellowship of the Department of Science and Technology, India and demonstrates a green solution to the energy crises gripping the world and can aid in the global transition to sustainable energy sources.
The team of researchers has won several awards at the carbon-zero challenge held at IIT Madras and the Vishwakarma Prize for Engineering, 2021 at IIT Gandhinagar, for their invention. “I strongly believe that NCF has the potential to change the solar-thermal energy market in India and lead the way in decarbonization,” concludes Prof. Subramaniam.
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