Osa Mbonu-Amadi
Researchers at the University of Tokyo, Japan, have created a solar panel using titanium dioxide and selenium. This new invention is the latest breakthrough in the renewable energy sector.
The first titanium solar panels (proton engine predicted by Einstein) are 1000 times more powerful than the traditional photovoltaic panels. The home turbine, which runs on running water, produces more energy than 12 solar panels!
Titanium solar panel is hugely innovative, because conventional solar panels use silicon-based materials, but the new titanium-selenium panels have proven to be more efficient as a result of an advanced manufacturing process that controls the interaction between these materials.
Researchers found that by reducing the negative impact of tellurium on the selenium structure, the adhesion between the TiO₂ and Se layers was improved, allowing energy conversion efficiency to increase. These panels can therefore generate much more electricity with the same amount of sunlight.
Titanium is extremely resistant and durable against corrosion, but it has one problem: Its production cost is quite expensive and therefore has been limited to the aerospace and medical sector. Extracting titanium from its mineral is very expensive.
But part of the Japanese innovation is the experiment in using yttrium, a chemical element, to produce titanium in order to reduce the costs. Yttrium may not be as famous as gold or silver, but its role in modern technology is said to be irreplaceable. According to experts, yttrium is found in rare minerals and is used in everything from LED screens to superconductors. In this particular invention, yttrium purifies titanium, reducing costs and improving its application in sustainable technologies.
Another major problem with this element is that it leaves microscopic impurities in the final titanium, which could cause its resistance to be somewhat truncated and its durability reduced in certain applications. In order for this material to be used on a large scale, researchers must find a way to erase the remains. If they manage to overcome this obstacle, the titanium revolution could change renewable energy production forever.
