Last year, a twelve- year- old boy named William Yuan who lives in Beaverton, Oregon invented a new type of solar cell that puts previous 3D cells to shame. According to Columbia Encyclopedia, a solar cell is a type of semiconductor that transfers light into energy that is made normally out of silicon crystal. From the silicon crystal a specially constructed diode is made. When light strikes the exposed active surface, it knocks electrons loose from their sites in the crystal. Some of the electrons have enough energy to cross the diode junction and, then, cannot return to positions on the other side of the junction without passing through an external circuit. Because the current gained from these devices is small and the voltage is low, they must be connected in large series-parallel arrays or solar panels so that useful amounts of energy can be converted.
The kid’s solar cell can absorb both UV and visible light though. Previous research focused solely on one or the other, but Yuan was able to combine the two. Normally, regular solar cells are only 2D and only allow light interaction once. The newly invented solar cell though can create 500 times more light absorption than current commercial solar cells and nine times more light than existing 3D solar cells. Overall, the solar cell invented by the boy is both more efficient and powerful; William Yuan was very surprised by his results.
According to KATU.com, the boy’s project is a highly-efficient 3-Dimensional nanotube Solar Cell for Visible and UV Light. William invented a novel solar panel that enables light absorption from visible to ultraviolet light. Nanotubes are cylindrical carbon molecules that have properties that make them useful in many applications in nanotechnology, show extraordinary strength and unique electrical properties, and are efficient conductors of heat(physicsworld.com). He also designed carbon nanotubes to overcome the barriers of electron movement. In the end, this doubles the light-electricity conversion efficiency. Yuan also developed a model for solar towers and a computer program to simulate and optimize the tower parameters. Because of the William’s innovative thinking, the Pacific Northwest may have a viable source of alternative energy in the near future. All Yuan needs now is a manufacturer.
It is quite amazing that a twelve- year- old could invent something so complex. William Yuan ended up receiving a $25,000 scholarship and earned the Davidson Fellow award, which is for those 18 and under. Even though William is so young he has already done great research in nanotechnology and nuclear fission, and it seems that he is on his way to solving the energy crisis we currently have at hand.
http://www.katu.com/news/28432984.html
http://plus.aol.com/aol/reference/solarcel/solar_cell?flv=1
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/print/1761
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4 comments:
WOW! THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE! I can't even imagine being this brilliant as a twelve year old! i picture myself when I was twelve, and I think of legos, GI Joe's, and video games! I don't think my time was ever devoted to research or really even caring about much of anything aside from having fun and being a kid!
I agree with Chris! A twelve year old boy thought of this? What kid says "Hey I'm going to pass on playing little league baseball this spring and instead discover a new alternative energy!" At least it seems that younger generations have their heads on right when it comes to climate change and how something must be done to stop the harm we are doing to the earth and our health.
(And how is it that a twelve year old boy can figure out a genious source of alternative energy yet adults haven't come across a reasonable and socially accepted way to generate energy?!)
The only thing I would want to know is how did he get the tools necessary to build all those tubes and things to make the solar panel better? Did he have a solar panel already, and just modify it? I don't think I could make even a crummy solar panel out of the materials I have available between my dorm, my house or my car. It seems like he had help from someone, or something... or maybe he just has a laboratory in his back yard.
I can understand how he makes the models using a computer program, but as we've learned in class models aren't always the same as real life - something like this seems extraordinary but will it really work in practice?
I think this is awesome. Way to go, William. I'm passing this article along to my son for inspiration.
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