Academician Wang Zhonglin: Energy transformation requires disruptive original technology

Text ｜ Wang Zhonglin (Foreign Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Director of the Institute of Nano Energy and Systems of the Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Energy is the foundation of human survival and a guarantee of national security.

Compared with other countries, China's energy status is rich in coal, less oil, and lack of gas. Although coal reserves are rich, it is not endless. Finding a new type of sustainable energy is imminent.

At present, with the excessive use of fossil energy, carbon dioxide emissions have reached a new height, causing serious harm to the ecological environment. In recent years, the frequency of natural disasters has higher frequency than before, which may be related to the excessive use of fossil energy.

The state proposes to use "dual carbon" as a major strategic goal, and energy transformation is an inevitable trend. On the one hand, we must vigorously develop green renewable energy, including solar energy, wind, and biomass energy; on the other hand, distributed energy scattered on the earth cannot be ignored.

Energy is a systematic process from the generation and utilization of recycling. In the past, fossil energy burned was used in other forms after being used in power generation, such as thermal energy and mechanical energy. These large -scale distribution and fragmented energy sources have a low recovery rate, causing the energy to be unavailable.

How to turn the "distributed energy" scattered in the environment into electricity and transport it to millions of households is a major challenge.

Twenty years ago, with the emergence of distributed sensing devices and the Internet of Things, the development of information and communication technology from wired to wireless, from orderly to distribution. From this we realize that in the field of energy, we may also face the same trend, that is, from one yuan to diversified, from centralized to distribution. One of the key issues in this is how to make distributed sensing devices sustainable, recycle energy, and provide data information. Based on this, we then began to study micro -energy energy.

Micro -nano energy is the "small energy" except for traditional renewable energy and fossil energy.

There is huge energy in the ocean. Not long ago, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the European Academy of Sciences released a marine -based climate action, which mentioned that marine energy is one of the way out of the future alternative fossil energy.

The ocean includes energy, wind energy, tidal energy, wave energy, biomass energy and other energy sources. They are widely distributed and energy. We must ask the ocean resources. Gathering a variety of marine energy can greatly meet human energy needs and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

However, compared with the "big wind and waves" on the coastline of the European countries, the wind and waves on the coastline of my country are relatively calm, with an average wave high of only 0.3 to 0.8 meters. It is very difficult to collect, and it is difficult to generate power generation. This requires subverting subversion. Sexual original technology. To this end, in 2012, we invented the nano -generator (teng), which can collect extensive distribution of energy and convert tiny mechanical energy to electrical energy.

Unlike the principle of traditional generators, nano -generators are based on the contact of the two materials, generating electrostatic induction and output current. It has high voltage and low current and high -efficiency at low frequency. Each nanometer is not large, but placing them into the ocean into the ocean can be transformed into electrical energy without regular movement, and it can stabilize the output.

According to the theoretical calculation of experimental data, the sea surface area of ​​1 square kilometer and 1 meter deep water are connected to a three -dimensional grid with spherical nano -generator. Theoretically, it can generate a 10 MW -level electrical output, which can light up 1 million electric lights. Essence Marine blue energy prospects are broad.

After cost accounting, after the large -scale marine energy is formed, its cost is lower than the wind and solar energy, and because the waves are constantly day and night, the electricity issued in large areas should be continuous and stable, so it can be connected. The experiments we did at sea and under the sea also achieved significant results, proved that our ideas were correct.

The invention of the nano -generator brings the possibility of the miniaturization of the energy system. This is the second major invention after the electromagnetic induction theorem of Faraday invented in 1831. Essence

Since the first invention of nano -generators 20 years ago, for a full 10 years, we have established basic theoretical frameworks and technical methods, and have also taken an important step in industrial applications. Nano -generator, as a sensing device that converts mechanical signals into electrical signals, is currently potential in the fields of security protection, human -computer interaction, network security, air purification, and health maintenance. In the process of expanding applications, we continuously improve the technical theory and continuously learn and improve, laying the foundation for the realization of the application of realized models in the field of marine energy.

The "double carbon" goal is a magnificent and complex system project. Many technological innovations still need to be used in the process of energy transformation, including power generation methods, power grid transportation and energy storage. This is very important but very difficult. It requires multi -party cooperation and system collaboration. I believe that the solution will be found in the future.

In the future, on the one hand, we should vigorously promote existing technologies to ensure that fossil energy is the basis for the guarantee of energy security; on the other hand, it should vigorously cultivate original and disruptive technology, develop distributed energy, and disruptive technology may become future energy revolutionary. Guarantee of change.

Original breakthroughs from 0 to 1 is a very difficult job. For example, you have the first original idea of ​​the world, can you become reality? Can you get industry recognition and social acceptance? How to reduce costs when the cost is high ... This requires long -term stability and persistence.

Therefore, this requires the support of national top -level design and government special funds, while driving social capital investment. The new energy field requires a scientific breakthrough, but it also contains huge business opportunities. In addition, talent training and discipline construction are needed, so that there are people in the development of the field. Attach importance to basic research, original thoughts and science. Only in this way can we not run with others, will not be "stuck neck" in core technology, can we leave imprints in the history of scientific development, and we can produce real disruptiveness technology.

("China Science News" reporter Han Yangmei interviewed and sorted out)

"China Science News" (2022-09-05 The 1st edition of the news)

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