High-efficiency mechanical energy storage and retrieval using interfaces in nanowires

Suzhi Li; Xiangdong Ding; Ju Li; Xiaobing Ren; Jun Sun; Evan Ma

doi:10.1021/nl100263p

High-efficiency mechanical energy storage and retrieval using interfaces in nanowires

Nano Lett. 2010 May 12;10(5):1774-9. doi: 10.1021/nl100263p.

Authors

Suzhi Li¹, Xiangdong Ding, Ju Li, Xiaobing Ren, Jun Sun, Evan Ma

Affiliation

¹ State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.

PMID: 20369897
DOI: 10.1021/nl100263p

Abstract

By molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate a new concept for mechanical energy storage and retrieval using surface energy as reservoir in body-centered cubic (bcc) tungsten nanowire, achieving a combination of unique features such as large and constant actuation stress (>3 GPa), exceptionally large actuation strain (>30%) and energy density, and >98% energy storage efficiency. The underlying mechanism is a shear-dominant diffusionless transformation akin to martensitic transformation, but driven by surface rather than bulk free energies, and enabled by motion of coherent twin boundary, whose migration has been shown to possess ultralow friction in bcc metals. Aside from energy storage, such surface-energy driven displacive transformations are important for phase transformation and energy-matter control at the nanoscale.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Computer Simulation
Computer-Aided Design
Energy Transfer*
Equipment Design
Equipment Failure Analysis
Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems / instrumentation*
Models, Chemical*
Nanostructures / chemistry*
Nanostructures / ultrastructure*
Nanotechnology / instrumentation*
Particle Size