Neutrinovoltaics is a relatively new technology in the realm of energy technologies, yet it is becoming more popular in scientific circles. The name is formed from the term’s neutrino and photovoltaic, which were combined to form the term. It refers to a novel, environmentally friendly technology that permits neutrinos, as well as other intangible natural and cosmic radiation spectrum, to be exploited to create electrical energy in an environmentally friendly manner. However, what exactly are neutrinos, and what do they have to do with photovoltaics, is a mystery.
Photovoltaics have long been a staple of the energy industry
Most readers will have heard the word photovoltaics at some point in their lives. But perhaps less widely known than the name itself is the reality that it has taken around 20 years from the technology’s initial steps in the 1970s to truly become relevant for energy production, despite the fact that photovoltaics has been around since the 1970s. Photovoltaics, which was originally created for space flight, was eventually able to make the transition into daily life. Until the late 1980s, photovoltaic cells were only useful for tiny electrical devices, such as calculators, since they could only supply modest quantities of power, which limited their use. It was not until the 1990s that photovoltaic technology began to play a significant role, allowing it to be utilized to generate power for use in homes and other applications. Photovoltaics, in contrast to fossil fuels such as natural gas, oil, or coal, is considered a “clean” and sustainable energy source that is accessible in almost limitless amounts of time (unlike the limited fossil fuels).
What are neutrinos?
Neutrinos, on the other hand, are very high-energy, invisible particles that originate in space and travel through time. They have the ability to go to every location on the planet at any moment, much in the way sunlight does. When compared to sunlight, neutrinos have a significant advantage in that they can reach us regardless of the weather, the season, or even the time of day. Furthermore, they have a minuscule overall mass. Physicists from Canada and Japan were the first That discovered that neutrinos possess mass. In recognition of the two researchers’ achievements, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to them.
Neutrinos and Energy Generation
The intriguing issue now, of course, is how neutrinos may be employed to generate energy in the future, based on this newfound information. Neutrinos travel virtually completely through all natural materials, including animal and human bodies, leaving no trace behind. It is as a result of this that we are completely unaware of their presence in our daily lives. When neutrinos collide with dense and artificially generated matter, however, they lose some of the energy that they had gained via motion and give it away to the molecules of the object in question. In some ways, this may be similar to how wind moves the rotor blades of a wind turbine, however it is on a much smaller scale. Now, every square centimeter of our planet is being bombarded by no less than 60 billion neutrinos every second. It is possible, theoretically, to produce an energy source that is scarcely detectable, as proved by colleges in the United States in 2015.
The Neutrino Energy Group
The Neutrino Energy Group (NEG) is a joint German-American research group. The goal of their study is to find ways to harness the power of invisible radiation spectrum. Since fossil fuels are limited and climate change necessitates the development of alternative and CO2-neutral sources of energy, this research group is addressing a pressing issue. They were able to create a dense substance that could interact with neutrinos in a certain way. This unique substance is being used to build the first neutrino photovoltaic cells for use in electricity generation. Vapor-deposited layers of silicon and doped graphene are applied to the carrier layer in order to create the final product. The thickness of these layers is in the nanometer range. When neutrinos strike this substance, they produce both horizontal and vertical pulses. It is critical that the doped materials have the proper layer thickness. The atomic vibrations caused by the pulses are placed into resonance if the layer thickness is optimum. As a result, an electric current may be detected in the substrate material (harvested). According to the hypothesis, the quantity of energy that may be harvested is determined by the distance traveled in the process. As a result of this approach, it will soon be feasible to charge electrical gadgets anywhere in the globe with no need for an outlet or cable. Simply “collecting” energy from the surrounding environment is a viable option. As a consequence, humanity will have access to an endless supply of clean energy, which will help to slow or halt global warming.
