从太阳能到机械能-基于液晶弹性体的太阳跟踪装置

By keeping the photovolatic panels perpendicular to the solar radiation, sun tracking systems could increases the collected energy by 10-100%. However, the sun trackers consume a great deal of electricity, which dramatically limited their wide application.In this proposal, we intended to design and build a new type of solar tracker driven only by sun light,like the sunflower. No electric input is necessary for this system. Meanwhile the device is simaple. ..To achive this aim, we are going to prepare a novel material which could transfer the solar energy into mechanical work directly. Upon sun light, the aimed material will contract, leading to mechanical movement if the device is properly constructed. Based on our previous research, this new material is made of carbon nanotube dispersed liquid crystalline elastomers(CNDLCE).To make it responsive to normal sun light, various chemical and physical methods will be attempted.Those methods includes adjusting the chemical structure of liquid crystalline elastomers,the optimizating the alignment of carbon nanotubes,ect. Moreover, to simplify the preparation procedure, we will also design and synthesize thermoplatic liquid crystaline elastomers. New processing procedures will be developed to obtain monodomain liquid crystalline elstomers...Besides improving the efficiency of photovoltic systems, this project is also expected to provide a new way to explore the solar energy by changing sun light into mechanical work, without the complicated energy storage.

本项目拟设计制备可将普通太阳光直接转化为机械功的新型碳纳米管-液晶弹性体复合材料，以此构筑无需电能输入、结构简单、可有效提高光伏系统效率的向日葵式太阳跟踪装置。为实现此目标，本项目一方面通过调节液晶弹性体化学结构、改善碳纳米管的排列等化学和物理方式，赋予液晶弹性体对普通太阳光的响应能力；另一方面，本项目从分子设计出发、合成热塑性液晶弹性体，解决材料难制备的瓶颈。在此之上，优化材料的综合性能，制备可将太阳能直接转化为机械能、易加工成型的液晶弹性体新材料。太阳跟踪装置可使光伏系统产电能力提高10-100%。但目前太阳跟踪装置本身耗电严重且结构复杂。本项目的研究将不仅能够消除此缺陷、促进太阳跟踪器的研发与应用、提高光伏系统效率，还将为充分利用可再生能源提供无需能量存贮、直接利用太阳能做功的新材料和新途径。

本项目试图通过合理的分子设计，合成易加工的液晶弹性体，在此基础上，引入碳纳米管，得到光响应的智能材料，并探索利用此复合材料，制备可随太阳位置变化不断转变方向的器件的可能性。..项目执行期间,主要研究内容有二，一是设计合成易成型的液晶弹性体；二是制备光响应碳纳米管液晶弹性体复合材料并提高其性能。..重要结果及其科学意义如下：.1. 将酯交换反应引入液晶弹性体，合成了含动态酯键的液晶弹性体，此弹性体可高温下模具成型，得到具有热致形变功能的液晶弹性体驱动器，材料可反复成型并回收。.2. 采用自具微孔的高分子作为分散剂，将碳纳米管分散在上述新型液晶弹性体中，所得复合材料具有光致形变的功能，并可通过光进行加工，获得多种三维能动结构，这些结构还可通过光焊接、愈合等进行维修；同时，材料具有很好的低温相容性，在低温下，仍旧能够通过光照，进行材料焊接、重塑形、愈合等。.3. 针对碳纳米管易聚集的问题，在解决其分散的同时，探索了采用具有光致生热效果的其它材料替代碳纳米管的可能性，将聚多巴涂层、苯胺寡聚物、钙钛矿等用于形状记忆高分子，赋予材料光响应的性质。