Pre-Equilibrium System and Method Using Solid-State Devices as Energy Converters Using Nano-Engineered Porous Network Materials

Abstract

An energy conversion device for conversion of various energy forms into electricity. The energy forms may be chemical, photovoltaic or thermal gradients. The energy conversion device has a first and second electrode. A substrate is present that has a porous semiconductor or dielectric layer placed thereover. The substrate itself can be planar, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional, and possess internal and external surfaces. These substrates may be rigid, flexible and/or foldable. The porous semiconductor or dielectric layer can be a nano-engineered structure. A porous conductor material is placed on at least a portion of the porous semiconductor or dielectric layer such that at least some of the porous conductor material enters the nano-engineered structure of the porous semiconductor or dielectric layer, thereby forming an intertwining region.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An energy conversion device for conversion of chemical energy into electricity, comprising:
 a first electrode;   a substrate connected to said first electrode;   a porous semiconductor layer disposed over said substrate, said porous semiconductor layer having a nano-engineered structure forming a semiconductor network;   a porous catalyst material on at least a portion of said porous semiconductor layer, wherein at least some of the porous catalyst material enters the nano-engineered structure of the porous semiconductor layer to form an intertwining region; and   a second electrode, wherein an electrical potential is formed between the first electrode and a second electrode during chemical reactions between a fuel, the porous catalyst material and the porous semiconductor layer; and   a heat sink that removes heat from the solid state electric generator, the heat sink having a heat sink temperature higher than an ambient temperature.   
     
     
         2 . The energy conversion device of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is patterned to create a three-dimensional surface, thereby providing increased surface area for chemical reactions. 
     
     
         3 . The energy conversion device of  claim 1 , wherein the porous semiconductor layer is patterned such that nano-wires are formed. 
     
     
         4 . The energy conversion device of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is textured such that peaks and valleys are formed. 
     
     
         5 . The energy conversion device of  claim 1 , further comprising a non-porous semiconductor layer in between the substrate and the porous semiconductor layer. 
     
     
         6 . The energy conversion device of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate itself is two-dimensional and planar. 
     
     
         7 . The energy conversion device of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate itself is three-dimensional and possessing internal and external surfaces. 
     
     
         8 . The energy conversion device of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is rigid. 
     
     
         9 . The energy conversion device of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is flexible. 
     
     
         10 . The energy conversion device of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is foldable. 
     
     
         11 . The energy conversion device of  claim 1 , wherein the solid-state junction is a Schottky diode. 
     
     
         12 . The energy conversion device of  claim 1 , wherein the solid-state junction is a p-n junction. 
     
     
         13 . The energy conversion device of  claim 1 , wherein the solid-state junction is a conductor-dielectric, dielectric-dielectric, conductor-dielectric-conductor, or a dielectric-conductor-dielectric junction. 
     
     
         14 . The energy conversion device of  claim 1 , wherein porous semiconductor layer comprises a semiconductor material is chosen from a materials group including crystalline, polycrystalline, or porous TiO2, SrTiO3, BaTiO3, Sr.sub.13 x-Ba_y-TiO_z, boron carbide, LiNiO, Al 2 O 3 , ZnO, and LaSrVO3, and organic semiconductors comprising PTCDA, or 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylicacid-dianhydride. 
     
     
         15 . The energy conversion device of  claim 1 , wherein the nanoscopic conductor cluster has discontinuous porous coverage over the porous semiconductor layer. 
     
     
         16 . The energy conversion device of  claim 1 , wherein the conductor layer comprises a plurality of nanoscopic clusters. 
     
     
         17 . The energy conversion device of  claim 1 , wherein the nanoscopic cluster comprises a catalyst. 
     
     
         18 . The energy conversion system of  claim 1 , comprising the one or more energy conversion devices connected electrically in series, electrically in parallel, or combinations of series and parallel. 
     
     
         19 . The energy conversion system of  claim 1 , comprising: the one or more energy conversion devices connected thermally in series, thermally in parallel, or combinations of series and parallel. 
     
     
         20 . The energy conversion system of  claim 1 , comprising buss bars on the active surface of one or more energy conversion devices with dimensions greater than the tunneling dimension. 
     
     
         21 . An energy conversion device for conversion of photovoltaic energy into electricity, comprising:
 a first electrode;   a substrate connected to said first electrode;   a porous semiconductor layer disposed over said substrate, said semiconductor layer having a nano-engineered structure forming a semiconductor network;   a porous conductor material on at least a portion of said porous semiconductor layer, wherein at least some of the porous conductor material enters the nano-engineered structure of the porous semiconductor layer to form an intertwining region; and   a second electrode, wherein an electrical potential is formed between the first electrode and a second electrode, the porous conductor material and the porous semiconductor layer; and   a heat sink that removes heat from the solid state electric generator, the heat sink having a heat sink temperature higher than an ambient temperature.   
     
     
         22 . The energy conversion device of  claim 21 , wherein the substrate is patterned to create a three-dimensional surface, thereby providing increased solid-state junction area for power generation/conversion. 
     
     
         23 . The energy conversion device of  claim 21 , wherein the porous semiconductor layer is patterned such that nano-wires are formed. 
     
     
         24 . The energy conversion device of  claim 21 , wherein the substrate is textured such that peaks and valleys are formed. 
     
     
         25 . The energy conversion device of  claim 21 , further comprising a non-porous semiconductor layer in between the substrate and the porous semiconductor layer. 
     
     
         26 . The energy conversion device of  claim 21 , wherein the substrate itself is two-dimensional and planar. 
     
     
         27 . The energy conversion device of  claim 21 , wherein the substrate itself is three-dimensional and possessing internal and external surfaces. 
     
     
         28 . The energy conversion device of  claim 21 , wherein the substrate is rigid. 
     
     
         29 . The energy conversion device of  claim 21 , wherein the substrate is flexible. 
     
     
         30 . The energy conversion device of  claim 21 , wherein the substrate is foldable. 
     
     
         31 . The energy conversion device of  claim 21 , wherein the heat sink may be connected to the porous semiconductor layer or the substrate. 
     
     
         32 . The energy conversion device of  claim 21 , wherein the solid-state junction is a Schottky diode. 
     
     
         33 . The energy conversion device of  claim 21 , wherein the solid-state junction is a p-n junction. 
     
     
         34 . The energy conversion device of  claim 21 , wherein the solid-state junction is a conductor-dielectric, dielectric-dielectric, conductor-dielectric-conductor, or a dielectric-conductor-dielectric junction.