Objectives

  • Implementation of automation, high-throughput synthesis and characterization, atomistic and large-scale simulations for accelerated materials discovery and AI&ML aided screening of materials for energy harvesting and conservation technologies.
  • Establish automated materials synthesis and characterization for autonomous materials screening and process parameter optimization.
  • Scan a large compositional and configurational space for predicting new materials using AI & ML algorithms for low-cost clean energy materials and for efficient energy harnessing.
  • Scale up the synthesis of materials and devices to TRL 4-7 and commercialize products for energy harnessing and conservation.

Perovskite Solar cell

  • Design and synthesize different classes of environmentally robust and efficient perovskite materials (3D, 2D, 2D-3D mixed and quantum dot perovskite) along with additive engineering and stable metal oxide transport layers.
  • Automate the device fabrication process and characterization at 3x MAP acceleration factor owing to robotics and AI-based design of experiments.
  • Device targets:
    • i. Efficiency: >10% for large area (16 in2 substrate) & >20% for small area (1 in2 substrate).
    ii. Stability: 03 years for small area and 1 year for large area (Encapsulated), 50% RH and 25oC at 1 Sun condition.

Solar Thermal

  • Development of solar thermal materials (based on nano-spinel, oxide materials & PCMs).
  • Design of prototype receiver tubes and small-scale prototype hybrid (latent and sensible) thermal energy storage system for building heating and cooling applications.
  • Device targets:
      • i. Solar receiver tube:
    • 1m receiver tube: (10-50mm OD) with AR-coated cover glass tube.
    • Optical efficiency: 50-55%.
    • Operational temperature: 100 to 400oC.
      • ii. Thermal storage system:
    • 1 kWh thermal storage capacity.
    • Thermal conductivity: =1 W/m.K.
    • Operational Stability: -40oC to 500oC.
    • Efficiency: >20% higher than conventional TES system.

Smart Window

  • Design, fabrication, screening, and performance analysis of smart windows with functional materials (electrochromic/ photochromic/ thermochromic).
  • Fabrication of small scale (5 cm x 5 cm) and large scale (1 in2) prototype smart windows.
  • Device targets:
    • i. Operational stability at 10-50oC, cycling stability up to 25,000 cycles.
    ii. Reduction in indoor temperature by = 3oC.
    iii. Indoor energy savings up to 20-30%.

Thermo-regulating Tiles

  • Synthesis & development of material (based on PCM & silica aerogel) for thermal regulation.
  • Design and fabrication of thermos-regulating tiles, both small (10 cm x 10 cm) and large scale based on optimized designs, and their performance testing.
  • Device targets:
    • i. Applicable to indoor side of wall or within the new construction of building.
    ii. Working life: at least 10 years.
    iii. Capable of converting temperature least by 5oC between hot side and cold side of the building wall.