Nanoenergy

http://www.innovationwatch.com/choiceisyours/choiceisyours-2008-09-15.htm

NANOENERGY

Gregor Wolbring

I have covered nanosolar before. In this column I will highlight generic nanoenergy, starting with the late Nobel laureate who received the award for his work on buckyballs. According to Richard Smalley, humanity’s Top Ten Problems for next 50 years are: (1) energy; (2) water; (3) food; (4) environment; (5) poverty; (6) terrorism and war; (7) disease; (8) education; (9) democracy; and (10) population.

In a 2003 talk, he foresaw the following shift in energy generation and demand between 2003 and 2050…

Energy has been seen for a while as one of the main areas nanotechnology should tackle.

According to a 2006 Nano energy conference: “There is a growing awareness that nanoscience and nanotechnology can have a profound impact on energy generation, storage, and utilization by exploiting the significant differences of energy states and transport in nanostructures and macrostructures. Nanotechnology-based solutions are being developed for a wide range of energy problems such as: solar electricity, hydrogen generation and storage, batteries, fuel cells, and thermoelectrics.”

“From energy saving to revolutionary approaches” was the tagline of the Nano Energy 2008 conference. The conference materials elaborated: “Today, nano-materials are the foundation for a fast-growing approach to energy saving. Indeed, nanotechnology offers the ability to enhance many key properties of energy technologies to achieve sustainability and secure the future energy supplies.”

The European Nanoroadmap Synthesis Report prepared for the European Commission stated: “Modern society is heavily depending on energy and any progress in this field is affecting a very large spectrum of sectors which are important for the EU policy as, for example, security and diversification of energy supply, climate changes and pollution, industrial competitiveness and sustainable growth.”

It identified 10 areas of Nanoenergy applications and examined four in the report:

• solar cells;
• thermoelectricity;
• rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors; and
• heat insulation and conductance.

A report from Cientifica -- “Nanotechnologies for the Automotive Energy Markets” -- indicates that the primary impact of nanotechnologies will be in more efficient use of existing resources, rather than the creation of new supplies from solar and hydrogen based technologies.

The report concludes that:

• The most immediate opportunities lie in saving energy through the use of advanced materials and this is already a $1.6 billion dollar market, predicted to rise to $51 billion by 2014
• Despite advances in battery technology, hydrogen storage and fuel cells, energy saving technologies will exhibit faster growth, accounting for 75% of the market for nanotechnologies in 2014, up from 62% in 2007
• The adoption of energy generation technologies is highly sensitive to geopolitical factors and consumer acceptance, while energy saving technologies exhibit no such problems
• Solid state lighting, nanocomposite materials, aerogels and fuel borne catalysts will have the greatest impact between now and 2014
• Compound annual growth rates are 64% for energy saving technologies and 90% for energy generation, while energy storage applications show a comparatively lowly 30%.
• Applications in transportation will increase to $50 billion by 2014 with a CAGR of 72%

Nanoenergy does not come without challenges, however. The European Nanoroadmap outlines timeframes to 2015 for the development of solar cells, thermoelectricity, rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors, and heat insulation and conductance. Challenges, barriers, and bottlenecks are identified.

A presentation at a meeting at Rice University in May 2003 outlined the following Energy Nanotech Grand Challenges:

• Photovoltaics -- drop cost by 100 fold
• Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to methanol
• Direct photoconversion of light + water to produce H2
• Fuel cells -- drop the cost by 10-100x + low temp start
• Batteries and supercapacitors -- improve by 10-100x for automotive and distributed generation applications
• H2 storage -- light weight materials for pressure tanks and LH2 vessels, and/or a new light weight, easily reversible hydrogen chemisorption system
• Power cables (superconductors, or quantum conductors) with which to rewire the electrical transmission grid, and enable continental, and even worldwide electrical energy transport; and also to replace aluminum and copper wires essentially everywhere -- particularly in the windings of electric motors and generators (especially good if we can eliminate eddy current losses)
• Nanoelectronics to revolutionize computers, sensors and devices
• Nanoelectronics based Robotics with AI to enable construction maintenance of solar structures in space and on the moon; and to enable nuclear reactor maintenance and fuel reprocessing
• Super-strong, light weight materials to drop cost to LEO, GEO, and later the moon by > 100 x, to enable huge but low cost light harvesting structures in space; and to improve efficiency of cars, planes, etc.
• Thermochemical processes with catalysts to generate H2 from water that work efficiently at temperatures lower than 900 C
• Nanotech lighting to replace incandescent and fluorescent lights
• NanoMaterials/ coatings that will enable vastly lower cost of deep drilling, to enable HDR (hot dry rock) geothermal heat mining
• CO2 mineralization schemes that can work on a vast scale, hopefully
• starting from basalt and having no waste streams

Molecular manufacturing

http://www.innovationwatch.com/choiceisyours/choiceisyours-2008-08-15.htm

MOLECULAR MANUFACTURING
Gregor Wolbring

The term ‘nanotechnology’ was used first to describe a way to manufacture something from atomic molecules (such as the food replicator in many science fiction films where, when one says “coffee,” the machine synthesizes the coffee molecule by molecule) (1; 2). In 2000, nanotechnology became linked to nanobots and nanoreplicators (3). Many use the term in the very narrow meaning of nano material sciences. It is also used to mean ‘nanoscale technology’ and nanoscale sciences covering ‘nanotechnology’ R&D products, ideas and processes with controlled size below 300nm (some say 100nm) (4; 5).

The original meaning of the term has been altered, and now ‘nanotechnology’ is generally known as molecular manufacturing or molecular nanotechnology (4). The International Organization for Standardization Technical committee 229 on Nanotechnology (ISO/TC229) that produces standards for classification, terminology and nomenclature, basic metrology, calibration and certification, and environmental issues related to nanotechnology uses the following definition:

1. Understanding and control of matter and processes at the nanoscale, typically, but not exclusively, below 100 nanometres in one or more dimensions where the onset of size-dependent phenomena usually enables novel applications, where one nanometre is one thousand millionth of a metre,
2. Utilizing the properties of nanoscale materials that differ from the properties of individual atoms, molecules, and bulk matter, to create improved materials, devices, and systems that exploit these new properties (6)

The ISO/TC229 business plan states:

“Nanotechnology is expected to evolve through four overlapping stages of industrial prototyping and commercialization. The first stage, already begun, involves the development of passive nanostructures: materials with fixed structures and functions often used as parts of a product. Products containing nanomaterials already in the marketplace mainly involve manufactured nanoparticles (metal oxides, quantum dots, carbon nanotubes, etc.) serving as raw materials, ingredients or additives in existing products. The second stage, also already begun, focuses on active nanostructures that change their size, shape, conductivity or other properties during use. For example, drug-delivery particles that release therapeutic molecules in the body when they reach their targeted diseased tissues. The third stage (projected to begin around 2010) will see the further development of expertise with systems of nanostructures and the directing of large numbers of intricate components to specified ends (for example, the guided self-assembly of nanoelectronic components into three-dimensional circuits and whole devices). In the fourth stage (projected to begin around 2015-2020), nanotechnology will expand to include molecular nanosystems --heterogeneous networks in which molecules and supramolecular structures serve as distinct devices. Computers and robots could be reduced to extraordinarily small sizes.” (6)

The ISO/TC229 uses a definition first promoted by the International Risk Governance Council 2006 nano white paper (7). This definition covers all the different nanotechnology definitions used so far, including the original one now called ‘molecular manufacturing.’

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The jury is still out on whether the Star Trek food replicator will appear. If the move toward atomic commodities (molecular manufacturing) takes place, it is logical to expect a change in the nature of the commodity market and, in the end, in local, regional and global trade.We could also expect a change in labour force requirements and labour relations, and many other areas that are linked today to trade.

We often disregard research that does not offer concrete near-term results as “science fiction,” and question its feasibility. However, using a science fiction or “it-won’t-be-possible” argument with respect to molecular manufacturing or any other research with long term timelines is short-sighted and problematic. It leaves us unprepared in the event of a scientific breakthrough. It prevents us from taking a hard look at what the consequences of success would be, what societal changes it would precipitate or require, and what safeguards it would necessitate.

The neglect of taking a foresight look at possible developments is often justified by stating that there is enough time to deal with the product when it becomes feasible. That sentiment depends on a long lag phase between the scientific breakthrough and deployment of the market-ready product, so we can prepare ourselves for the consequences. This reality seems to be less and less true.

I call this it-will-not-happen dynamic the ‘Berlin Wall Syndrome’ (11). Prior to 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall was seen as impossible by most, and the discourse around German reunification reflected that belief. West Germany (in particular) and the rest of the Western World (more generally) were totally unprepared for the dismantling of the Wall.

Molecular nanotechnology or molecular manufacturing is treated as such a wall. Hardly anyone develops plans for the eventuality that this wall will fall, which leaves us unprepared for the disruptions which will inevitably appear in trade and other areas if and when it falls. The Centre for Responsible Nanotechnology (12) and the Foresight Institute for Nanotechnology(13) are the main promoters of molecular manufacturing. And while they do consider its social impact, the consideration is limited, and the people involved in the governance of molecular manufacturing are a narrow group of potential stakeholders -- making it a problematic discourse.

The choice is yours to get involved in the governance of molecular manufacturing, so plans are in place to deal with it, in case the vision becomes a reality.

Gregor Wolbring is an ability governance, science and technology governance, disability studies and health policy scholar. He is an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Community Health Sciences, Program in Disability Studies and Community Rehabilitation. He is a member of the Center for Nanotechnology and Society at Arizona State University; Part Time Professor at Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, Canada; Adjunct Faculty, Critical Disability Studies, York University, Toronto, Canada; Member CAC/ISO - Canadian Advisory Committees for the International Organization for Standardization section TC229 Nanotechnologies; Member of the Review Board for the journal Review in Disability Studies; Member of the International Editorial Advisory Board for the journal Studies in Ethics, Law and Technology; Chair of the Bioethics Taskforce of Disabled People's International; and former Member of the Executive of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (2003-2007 maximum terms served). He publishes the Bioethics, Culture and Disability website, authors a weblog on NBICS and its social implications and is a regular contributor to the What Sorts of People blog.