infrastructure: the foundation for global prosperity
With the advent of cloud computing as a new computing paradigm, flexible services can be transparently provided to users over the dynamic cloud environment where multiple systems interact. By tapping into the cloud infrastructure, users can gain fast access to bestof-breed applications and drastically boost computing resources in a cost-effective way. Institutions can also improve their information technology’s agility and reliability, and obtain device and location independence. This new approach to computing, which is a distributed computing platform where different systems interact, requires considerable cyber infrastructure deployment with new challenges. Issues researchers face range from privacy concerns to interoperability of interacting systems.
‘Nevada has a potential for a new economic boom. Lithium mining could be new gold rush for N. Nevada’ - Headline on News Channel 4, Thursday, July 8, 2010 Story by Dr. Gautam Priyadarshan, Chemical & Metallurgical Engineering
Lithium is a lightweight metal used in a wide range of consumer products: it is used in the medical industry as an anti-depressant; industrial uses include glass, ceramic and porcelain; and Lithium alloys are used in aviation industry. Lithium’s most relevant use today is in batteries, and with the increasing trend toward hybrid and all-electric cars, the demand, and the price of the lightweight metal are expected to go through the roof. Dr. Gautam Priyadarshan and Dr. Krishnan Raja who work with Dr. Mano Misra have developed a new potentially economically process for producing Lithium batteries. The lithium ion batteries available in today’s market use graphite as anode and LiCoO2 as cathode. These materials have limited energy storage capacity and cannot satisfy the high power demand required for the electric vehicle and power tool applications with a sufficient charge-discharge cycle life. Further, LiCoO2 is prone to be a fire hazard under fast charge-discharge conditions. Dr. Gautam and his team have developed a method for synthesizing self-ordered, vertically oriented, and free-standing Ti-Mn oxide nanotubes that show enhanced storage capacity, and faster kinetics for Li-ion diffusion. It is patent pending process developed by the University of Nevada, Reno. The proposed configuration of nanotubes shows specific energy of more than 1250 mWh/g with a reversible nominal capacity >500 mAh/g. Vertically oriented, free-standing, ordered arrays of nanotubes were observed on both phases of Ti-Mn alloy as seen in Fig 1 (a) and (b). The ability to charge and discharge at higher rates makes the material a potential candidate for batteries to be used in hybrid electric vehicle and power tools. The hybrid electric vehicle is a rapidly growing niche market. Considering the increase in oil prices, depletion of oil sources, and target emission levels of CO2, it is imperative that electrochemical energy conversion devices play a critical role in catering to the transportation needs of the society. Currently the potential use of Li-ion batteries in electric vehicles applications is limited by the requirements of high power and high energy. Fig.1 Microscopic images of the nanotubes. (A) SEM of top surface morphology of the nanotubular arrays after anodization and annealing; and (B) TEM image of the Ti-Mn oxide nanotubes(scale bar 100 nm)
This approach demonstrates that lithium ion batteries can meet the above market needs. In addition, the innovation can find application as an energy delivery medium in portable electronic devices because of its high specific energy capacity. Further, this innovation can also be used as an energy delivery device in implant applications because of its non-toxic nature.
Nevada Engineering • Winter 2011
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