Description du projet
Des polymères performants pour le stockage et la conversion de l’énergie
Le projet TRANS, financé par l’UE, entend développer de nouveaux polymères capables de convertir une forme d’énergie en une autre. Ces polymères seront ensuite imprimés sous la forme de dispositifs actifs qui pourront être testés et optimisés afin d’être utilisés comme prototypes dans diverses applications pratiques. Les matériaux polymères innovants pourraient modifier leur forme de manière réversible en réponse à un champ électrique, générer de l’électricité lorsqu’ils sont étirés mécaniquement, se refroidir en utilisant peu d’énergie et convertir l’énergie thermique directement en électricité. Enfin, ils pourraient stocker l’électricité sous forme de batteries. Les polymères diélectriques pourraient révolutionner diverses applications telles que les actionneurs, les capteurs, les muscles artificiels, la robotique molle, la collecte et le stockage d’énergie, l’électronique extensible et la réfrigération à l’état solide.
Objectif
This ERC CoG will serve to build a strong multidisciplinary group concentrating on the synthesis of novel functional dielectric polymers that are printed into devices capable of converting one form of energy into another. Research spans all the way from materials’ synthesis and optimization, via device engineering to exploration of the manifold applications. TRANS will develop novel high dielectric permittivity elastomers and piezoelectric elastomers with an unprecedented collection of properties and use them as active components in devices for emerging technologies. The devices are not only of high technological and scientific importance, but also exhibit substantial economic and societal impact. They will reversibly change their shape in response to an electric field, generate electricity when mechanically stretched, cool while using little energy, convert thermal energy directly into electricity and, finally, store electricity in the form of batteries. The polymers developed in TRANS will combine either unprecedentedly high dielectric permittivity with a high dielectric breakdown field or piezoelectric properties with high elasticity. They have the potential to revolutionize different fields of applications such as actuators, sensors, energy harvesting, artificial muscles, soft robotics, energy storage, stretchable electronics, and solid-state refrigeration. A particularly important aspect concerns the synthesis of scalable and environmentally friendly, easy-to-apply and process printable inks, which are the active ingredients of various devices. After project termination, the applicant’s group will expand the fundamental understanding of structure-dielectric properties relationship and will be able to provide inks that are printed in prototype devices responsive to electricity, heat or mechanical stress.
Champ scientifique
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringthermodynamic engineering
- natural scienceschemical sciencespolymer sciences
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringroboticssoft robotics
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectrical engineeringpiezoelectrics
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
ERC-COG - Consolidator GrantInstitution d’accueil
8600 Dubendorf
Suisse