Preparation and Evaluation of Hybrid Composites of Chemical Fuel and Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes in the Study of Thermopower Waves

The overall goal of this procedure is to demonstrate the electrical energy generation via chemical combustion from thermopower waves. This is accomplished by first preparing core nanomaterials, such as multi walled carbon nanotubes by thermal chemical vapor deposition. The second step is synthesis of the hybrid composite of core nanomaterials and chemical fuels by wet impregnation method.

Next, thermal power wave generators composed of hybrid composites and the attached electrodes are manufactured. The copper electrodes are connected to hybrid composites by silver paste. The final step is measuring the output voltage, corresponding temperature and reaction propagation velocity from thermo power waves by means of using the oscilloscope, optical parameters, and a high speed microscopic system.

Ultimately, the protocol of thermo power wave experiments shows critical steps that enable thermo power waves for optimized thermal wave propagation and electrical energy generation. The main advantage of this technique over existing methods like conventional combustion to produce the electric energy is that there is no need of mechanical parts like compressor or turbine. This method can help answer key questions in new types of power sources for the micro and nanoscale field, such as smart dust applications and micro and nanorobotics and actuators because it directly generate high specific power using chemical fuels with high energy density.

Moreover, the thermal power wave is generated without any mechanical moving parts so that the generator can be shrinkable and integrated in micro and nanoscale. First place, a previously prepared iron and aluminum oxide layers on silicone dioxide, silicone wafer in a quartz boat that has dimensions of 120 millimeters by 30 millimeters, placed a quartz boat inside the two inch quartz tube of a thermal chemical vapor. Deposition set up after the multi walled carbon nano tube array has been fabricated gently separated from the wafer to obtain freestanding multi walled carbon nanotube forests.

To prepare the chemical fuel dissolve six grams of the piri acid powder evaporated from piri acid in 100 milliliters of Acetonitrile.Following. This dissolves six grams of sodium azide in 100 milliliters of deionized water. To synthesize the hybrid composite, measure the mass of an individual multi wat carbon nano tube forest with a micro balance.

Then confirm the aligned structures of the multi wat carbon nub forest by scanning electron microscopy. Check whether the aligned structure is maintained across the entire multi walled carbon nano tube forest. Next, add 25 microliters of the piri acid solution on top of the multi walled carbon nano tube forest to allow the fuel to penetrate the pores of the forest.

Leave the sample for 30 minutes to shrink the film array and allow the piri acid to fully penetrate the pores until all the acetyl nitrile has evaporated. At this point, immerse the piri acid coated multi walled carbon nano tube forests in 25 microliters of the previously prepared sodium azide solution to form 2 4 6 tri nitro sodium oxide and hydrogen azide by wet impregnation. After allowing the solvent to evaporate from the sample for 30 minutes, measure the mass of an individual hybrid composite of fuel and multi Walt carbon nanotubes with a micro balance.

Then compare the final mass to calculate the mass ratio of the fuel layer and multi wat carbon nanotubes using the following equation. Attach copper tape to both ends of a glass slide to act as electrodes for connection with an oscilloscope, which measures the direct voltage output from the thermal power wave. Following this, use silver paste to connect the copper tape to both ends of the hybrid composite.

After the silver paste becomes hard and the connection is fixed, use a multimeter to measure the electrical resistance to the hybrid composite inside a polycarbonate chamber. Fix the thermopower wave generator on the optical table with clamps for safety. Next, use alligator clips to connect the copper electrodes to the oscilloscope for the measurement of output voltage.

Set up a high speed microscopy system to record combustion propagation from the generator. Turn on the LED lamp for clear recording with high resolution images in front of the thermopower wave generator. Then set the recording speed over 5, 000 frames per second.

After preparing a high current power supply and a nickel chrome wire, connect the wire to the high current power supply and heat it. Make gentle contact between the heated nickel wire and chemical fuel on the hybrid composite until combustion is an initiated in the thermopower wave generator. When the thermopower wave is launched by the generator, set up the recording frame rate to 5, 000 frames per second in the high speed camera.

Trigger recording at the start of thermopower wave propagation. Then record snapshots in high speed photographic images with the high-speed microscopy system, and extract the number of recorded frames from start to finish of thermopower wave propagation. At this point, record the voltage signal from start to finish of thermopower wave propagation by using the oscilloscope, extract the output voltage pulse.

Finally, calculate the velocity of reaction propagation by extracting the reaction front position at individual frames in the high speed microscopy system and using the following equation. The aligned multi walt carbon nanotube array as a core nano structured material for thermopower waves is shown here. The diameter of as grown multi Walt carbon nanotubes is 20 to 30 nanometers.

The aligned hybrid composite of the piri acid, sodium azide, multi walled carbon nanotubes is displayed here. The mixture of pric acid sodium azide formed a one dimensional structure that amplified the combustion. After manufacturing the thermopower wave generator, the high speed microscopy system recorded combustion propagation.

Dual heating ignited the combustion, and it was quickly transformed as a self propagating chemical reaction along the aligned direction of multi walled carbon nano tubes simultaneously concomitant electrical energy conversion was obtained using the synchronized oscilloscope. The nickel chrome wire used for the ignition only contacted the fuel compound on the hybrid composite and there was no disturbance from the external electrical signal. While attempting this procedure, it's important to remember to fabricate where align the hybrid structures between the chemical fuels and the more toward the carbon nine tube.

In our optimized steps, the fuel method should be 10 times lower than the multiple carbon tubes for high up bodies with one national propagation of combustion waves After its development. This technique paved the way for researchers in the field of generation or harvesting to explore high specific power for micro nanoscales from chemical combustion. After watching this video, you should have a good understanding of how chemical energy in combustor fuels can convert to thermal and electric energy in thermo power waves and how can be designed and optimized to control the thermal propagation and the apple voltage.

Don't forget that working with flammable materials such as chemical fuels can be extremely hazardous, and precautions such as shedding chamber or a control of the amount of chemical frees should always be taken while performing the procedure.