Generally, “dry-side” nanotechnology innovations and applications have been growing quite rapidly in the energy industry.
- Nanotechnology is being deployed to remove contaminants from the huge amounts of produced water that results from hydraulic fracturing of oil bearing formations.
- Nanomaterials such as graphene oxide are available to treat produced water for radioactive contamination. This can occur when oil wells pierce uranium bearing formations, such as the Chattanooga shale in the U.S.
- Scientists at Rice University have developed a nanoparticle that absorbs 100% of its weight in carbon, and can therefore be used for CO2 capture.
- Another group of scientists there has developed a sponge made of carbon nanotubes to soak up oil spills, in cold or warm water (see Hashim et. al.
Scientific Reports , Vol. 2, Article #363, April 13, 2012).
- Other nanotech applications already in use in the energy industry include the use of nano-coatings to sharply reduce corrosion in casings and pipes in oil and gas wells, as well as nanocoatings to strengthen downhole materials subject to very high temperature and very heavy stress. One scientist at Rice is developing a nanocoating corrosion inhibitor that promises not only to be very effective, and at $3.50 per pound inexpensive as well.
- Nanoscale proppants are already being used to improve recovery of oil and gas from wells where hydraulic fracturing has been utilized. Proppants literally “prop open” fissures in rock so that oil and gas may more readily flow. The proppants in this case are nano-sized ceramic spheres with special density properties.
- Among important dry-side application include: “Nanowires” for transmission and conservation of energy.
Composed of billions of carbon nanotubes, such nanowires are known as Armchair Quantum Wires (AQW). Research on this innovation has been underway for seven years, and is now attracting attention of business enterprises in the U.S. and elsewhere.
The AQW resembles chicken wire all rolled up, but it is a high strength wire made from pure carbon. One AQW would be about one to two centimeters thick, consisting of billions of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT), one of the members of a family of nanotubes measuring about two nanometers across.
Not only is the AQW stronger than steel, but at
one-sixth the weight of steel it has up to ten times better tensile strength than other composite wires. Thus, it could support itself as a high-tension, high voltage cable. (Hartley, Medlock, 2011).
Here are but a few of the implications:
- Potential savings of as much as in of the energy cost of electricity, as transmission losses due to resistance are reduced.
- Usage of nanowires could increase the efficacy of renewable energy sources:
- For wind, it would help end the stranding of capacity because of insufficient transmission capacity.
- Solar energy from deserts could now be profitably transmitted to large urban areas.
Other recent discoveries – dry side
New breakthroughs on the dry side of nanotechnology are reported each month. Four of these recent discoveries are illustrative of some of the potential of this technology.
