THERMOELECTRIC NANOCRYSTAL COATED GLASS FIBER SENSORS

• US 20140144477A1
• Filed: 01/29/2014
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation (The Trustees of Purdue University (d/b/a Purdue University))
• Original Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation (The Trustees of Purdue University (d/b/a Purdue University))
• Inventors: Wu, Yue, Finefrock, Scott
• Application Number:
  US14/167,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20140144477A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/201
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/18 Actuation by interference with heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength; Actuation by intruding sources of heat, light, or radiation of shorter wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/852 comprising tellurium, selenium or sulfur

Abstract

This disclosure examines using lead telluride nanocrystals as well as other materials suitable for thermoelectric conversion, particularly materials with high Figure of Merit values, as coatings on flexible substrates. This disclosure also examines using flexible substrates with lead telluride nanocrystal coatings as sensors.

Claims

1. A sensor, comprising:

a glass fiber coated with an electrically conducting material, the fiber having a length;

a first electrical lead in electrical communication with the fiber at a first position along the length; and

a second electrical lead in electrical communication with the fiber at a second position along the length, the first position being spaced apart from the second position.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the electrically conducting material is at least one of telluride, lead, platinum, gold, and palladium.

3. The sensor of claim 2, wherein the glass fiber is coated with lead telluride nanocrystals.

4. The sensor of claim 2, wherein the glass fiber is coated with gold/palladium alloy.

5. The sensor of claim 2, wherein the glass fiber is coated with platinum.

6. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the glass fiber includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end.

7. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising a two terminal device for detecting a voltage, wherein the first lead is connected to one terminal of the device and wherein the second lead is connected to the other terminal of the device.

8. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the glass fiber is located underground.

9. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the glass fiber is located underwater.

10. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the glass fiber is a bundle of glass fibers.

11. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the coating electrically conducting material has a thickness of about 300 nm.

12. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising an insulating layer coated on the electrically conducting material.

13. A method of detecting motion of a substance, comprising:

providing a substrate including a glass fiber coated with a material;

exposing the substrate and glass fiber to the motion of the substance;

generating a voltage by the glass fiber corresponding to the motion; and

detecting the voltage.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the detected voltage is greater than a predetermined threshold.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined threshold is 100 μ

V.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the electrically conducting material includes an elemental metal or metalloid in Periods 5 or 6.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the electrically conducting material is at least one of telluride, lead, platinum, gold, and palladium.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the glass fiber is a bundle of glass fibers.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the substance is solid, the substrate is attached to a surface of the solid substance, and said detection corresponds to motion of the solid substance.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the voltage corresponds to a change in the velocity of the surface.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein the substance is liquid, the glass fiber is at least partly immersed in the liquid substance, and said detection corresponds to motion of the liquid substance.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the voltage corresponds to wave motion within the liquid substance.

23. The method of claim 13 wherein the substance is gaseous, the glass is exposed to the gaseous substance, and said detection corresponds to motion of the gaseous substance.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the voltage corresponds to the flow of the gas proximate to the fiber.

25. The method of claim 13 wherein said generating is by flexure of the glass fiber.

26. The method of claim 13 wherein said detecting is performed with a voltage measurement device having two terminals.

27. The method of claim 13 wherein said detecting is of the electrical field generated by the fiber.

29. The sensor of claim 19, wherein the flexible substrate is a glass fiber.

30. The sensor of claim 19, wherein the flexible substrate is coated with lead telluride.

28. A sensor, comprising:

a flexible substrate coated with at least one of telluride, lead, platinum, gold, and palladium, the flexible substrate in electrical communication with a voltage measurement device.