Bulletin of the American Physical Society
2007 Ohio Section of the APS Spring Meeting
Volume 52, Number 5
Friday–Saturday, May 4–5, 2007; Ypsilanti, Michigan
Session B1: Energy Issues |
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Chair: Marshall Thomsen, Eastern Michigan University Room: EMU Student Center 310AB |
Friday, May 4, 2007 4:15PM - 4:27PM |
B1.00001: Long-range potential fluctuations in thin-film photovoltaics Muthuthanthrige Lilani Cooray, Victor G. Karpov A quantitative theory is developed to describe the long-range potential fluctuations caused by random charges in thin semiconductor structures sandwiched between two electrodes representative of thin-film photovoltaics. The semiconductor contains localized electric charges of impurities, grain boundary defects, etc. The device thickness is smaller than the screening length of its constituting bulk material; hence, the film behaves as a dielectric. In particular, variations in charge density will create the random electric potential not limited by the film screening length l. Instead, the electrons in the electrodes will redistribute to maintain the electrode equipotentiality thereby providing the electrostatic screening. We have shown that in such systems, the lateral space scale of random potential is close to the structure thickness. The random potential amplitude is described analytically and is specified for three practically important cases of point defects, spherical grains, and columnar grains causing the potential fluctuations. The implications of our theory are pointed out suggesting practical approaches to optimizing the performance of thin-film photovoltaics by tuning the random potential through e. g. grain size, device thickness, etc. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, May 4, 2007 4:27PM - 4:39PM |
B1.00002: Potential impact of individuals on carbon dioxide emissions in East North Central USA. George Mozurkewich Many activities of modern life increase the atmosphere's carbon dioxide load. With approximately 48 percent of energy use in the US being attributable to the residential and transportation sectors, individuals have meaningful control over a large portion of these emissions. To reduce our impact, we have been exhorted to buy hybrid vehicles, use fluorescent bulbs, enhance the insulation of our homes, etc. This presentation ranks the effectiveness of several such actions, both in terms of the magnitude of emissions reductions attainable and in terms of cost effectiveness. Input information was obtained from several publicly available databases and, where possible, is specialized to the East North Central census region (Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin). A key observation is that concerned individuals can significantly reduce their carbon dioxide emissions at minimal net cost to themselves using technology that is currently commercially available. Time permitting, the magnitude of these available reductions will be considered in light of the second law of thermodynamics. [Preview Abstract] |
Friday, May 4, 2007 4:39PM - 4:51PM |
B1.00003: Hydrogen energy; the 35th anniversary of the Hindenburg Society Lawrence Jones It is noteworthy that this is the 35th anniversary of the Hindenburg Society, formed in 1972 to promote the use of hydrogen as a vehicular fuel, and so named - on the 35th anniversary of the Hindenburg disaster - to underscore the awareness of the possible dangers of hydrogen energy. The motivations for a hydrogen vehicular fuel system have only grown in the intervening years, and, with the evolution of fuel cells and the hybrid vehicle concept, become even more attractive. None of the energy alternatives to fossil fuels - nuclear, solar, wind, geothermal, etc. - are directly usable for vehicular applications. As an energy carrier, hydrogen has a much higher energy per unit mass than storage batteries or other options. The advantages of hydrogen as a vehicular and jet aircraft fuel, and a possible evolution to a hydrogen fuel economy will be discussed. [Preview Abstract] |
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