The subversive carbon nanotube modified polymer developed by British Trelleborg Applied Technology, a company specializing in the development of engineering materials, solves the radar interference problem of wind farms. Relying on nanotechnology, thousands of hectares of land restricted for wind farm construction will be released, which will surely increase the utilization rate of global renewable energy.
At present, the proportion of wind power in the global total power generation is increasing year by year, and CO2 emissions have been greatly reduced. But in practical applications, in addition to the recognized advantages, wind power also has a series of problems. The operation of wind turbines will affect radar and other navigation systems, making it difficult for air traffic controllers to track aircraft in "clutter." This problem directly makes it difficult to build wind farms in areas with dense air traffic. In some smaller countries, more than 60% of the land is restricted to wind farm construction, which hinders the application of 1 million megawatts of renewable energy.
Trelleborg Applied Technology found that the use of graphene / single-wall carbon nanotubes can solve the above problems.
Dr. Adam Nevin, the company's director of innovation, said: "We have discovered the serious problem of excessive wind turbine radar signals, so if we can weaken this signal, we can eliminate" clutter "and solve the problem of interfering radar signals. Wall carbon nanotubes are made of nanocomposite materials, which can absorb more than 99% of radar waves, thereby making the objects covered by them "stealth", making it easier for the air traffic control department to track aircraft and observe storms. "
In addition to effectively absorbing electromagnetic waves, carbon nanotubes also contribute to the manufacture of ultra-thin new materials. The developer emphasizes that if carbon nanotubes are not added, the thickness of the polymer material will be measured in centimeters, and after the addition of carbon nanotubes, the polymer thickness can be reduced to a few millimeters, thereby obtaining ultra-light nano-resin. The new wave absorbing material uses OCSiAl's graphene / single-wall carbon nanotubes.
As Dr. Adam Nevin said, the product completed the complete development cycle from design and development to large-scale solutions in only 10 months. The new wave-absorbing material can be used for a variety of product applications in the fields of telecommunications, automobiles, electronics, and antennas that have strict regulations on electromagnetic interference and unlimited electrical emissions.