{"id":1447,"date":"2022-01-03T00:32:03","date_gmt":"2022-01-02T23:32:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lms.nanoproject.eu\/lms\/?post_type=unit&p=1447"},"modified":"2022-01-03T00:32:03","modified_gmt":"2022-01-02T23:32:03","slug":"nanotechnologies-in-the-automotive-sector","status":"publish","type":"unit","link":"https:\/\/lms.nanoproject.eu\/lms\/unit\/nanotechnologies-in-the-automotive-sector\/","title":{"rendered":"Nanotechnologies in the Automotive Sector"},"content":{"rendered":"

Energy for certain uses, such as transportation, requires the energy to be stored to be used when required. In cars, this has been done using petrol or diesel fuel, which are then burned to release the energy they contain to power our cars and trucks. Automotive energy storage is one area where nanotechnology has been highlighted as being a breakthrough technology that will provide substantial benefits for all of us. But as well as storing energy more efficiently, it also helps if the energy is used more efficiently, and energy loss is reduced. This is another area where nanotechnology can have a significant impact.<\/p>\n

\"\"Nanotechnology in Batteries for Electric Cars<\/strong><\/p>\n

We are all used to seeing batteries in many of the products that we use daily, from our mobile phones to our cars, there is a reliance on batteries of different sorts to provide electrical power. Batteries are one of the main things people think about when you talk about energy storage, and they come in all different shapes and sizes and are used for different purposes.<\/p>\n

Cars are responsible for around 12% of the total EU emissions of carbon dioxide and there will be an effective ban on new fossil fuel powered cars from 2035. The aim is to encourage the switch to zero emission engines, which means that there will be a need to have a rapid transition to alternative power sources for transport, which will mean invariably more cars being powered by electrical batteries. Car batteries need to be both powerful and light and nanotechnology can provide materials that are both able to store energy well and are lightweight.<\/p>\n

There are different ways of utilising nanotechnology into a battery. Improving the amount of power that a battery can provide and decreasing the recharge time can be accomplished by coating the surface of the electrodes with nanoparticles, which increases the surface area of the electrode and allows more current to flow between the electrode and the chemicals inside a battery. Alternatively, the current graphite electrodes in lithium-ion batteries can be replaced with CNTs, which can double the storage capacity.<\/p>\n

New battery technologies are the focus of many ongoing research projects both in academia and industry. One barrier that is preventing their mass uptake into our cars is the cost of manufacturing nanomaterials at scale. Solving this challenge will help unlock these technologies for use in the next generation of electric cars.<\/p>\n

Making Cars Lighter with Nanotechnology<\/strong><\/p>\n

Making cars lighter does not at first seem to be related to energy. However, making cars lighter helps to reduce the amount of energy required to power our cars. Making fossil fuelled cars lighter helps to reduce the amount of fuel that they burn and reduces the amount of CO2<\/sub> they release. Making electric cars lighter helps reduce the size of the batteries needed to power them, which makes the cars cheaper to produce and sell. However, making cars lighter does not mean just using the lightest material available, or else we would all be driving around in cars made of paper! We need to also consider safety, which means using a material that is both light and strong.<\/p>\n

Nanomaterials offer several options for weight saving in car bodies. Nanocomposites provide weight savings and offer very favourable weight to strength ratios. Polymer nanocomposites can be manufactured that use nano sized filers such as in nanoclays or CNTs within a polymer matrix. The addition of the nanomaterials adds strength into the polymer, whilst not adding as much weight as traditional polymer fillers. It may also be possible to use nanomaterials that provide additional functionality, such as electrical conductivity and allow future cars to replace electrical wiring as well. Using nanomaterials could allow a weight saving of 20% and in some cases, even more, all of which will help reduce the amount of energy needed to power the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Definition<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Nanocomposite<\/strong><\/p>\n

A material that incorporates nanomaterials into a matrix of standard materials. Examples in nature include bones in the human body. Manufactured examples include polymer nanocomposites, which are plastics with nanomaterials added for functional effects, such as increasing the strength of the material matrix that it is being added into.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Making Engines Work Better<\/strong><\/p>\n

In engines around 10-15% of fuel consumption is lost due to friction, where parts are moving against each other. This occurs in current fossil fuel car engines, such as the piston rubbing against the cylinder wall, but will also remain a problem in electric cars with the drive shaft. Energy loss due to friction can be reduced by using nanotechnology that helps reduce the effect of friction and makes cars more energy efficient.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n

Nano coatings can be used on the piston and the cylinder walls that allow the piston to move with less friction. Nanocrystalline coatings using iron carbide and boride nanomaterials with a size of between 60-130nm provide a surface that is extremely hard, but with low friction properties. These tribological coatings are being looked at by many automotive manufacturers to help improve fuel efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Definition<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Tribology<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tribology is the science of surface to surface contact or the study of interacting surfaces that are in motion. It looks at the effects that friction, lubrication and wear have on surfaces. It is important to understand tribology when looking at a lot of mechanical systems where you have two components that will rub together.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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