Southeast University News Network reported that on May 9th, the latest scientific research achievement of Academician Changwen Miao and Professor Yang Zhou's team from Southeast University - the bionic self-powered energy-storage concrete, which is the first in the world, was officially unveiled. This disruptive technology directly targets the high-energy consumption pain point in the construction industry and opens up a completely new energy path with cement as the carrier, promising to reshape the future architecture and energy landscape.
In the severe context where building energy consumption accounts for 45% of the total national energy consumption and over 50% of carbon emissions, the shortcomings of traditional photovoltaic energy, constrained by weather conditions and high storage costs, are becoming increasingly prominent. Relying on the National Key Laboratory of Infrastructure Engineering Materials, the research team from Southeast University successfully developed the bionic self-powered energy-storage concrete under the support of the first batch of original-exploration projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. This outcome encompasses two technical modules: self-powered cement-based metamaterials and self-storing electric cement-based supercapacitors, transforming cement from an "energy consumer" into an "energy complex," achieving dual breakthroughs in self-generation and self-storage.
The team developed two types of self-powered cement-based metamaterials, N-type thermoelectric cement and P-type thermoelectric cement, whose performance far exceeds traditional materials. Among them, the Seebeck coefficient of N-type thermoelectric cement reaches -40.5 mV/K, approximately ten times higher than the highest value of traditional cement-based thermoelectric materials; the power factor (PF) value of P-type thermoelectric cement is 51 times higher than the highest value of traditional cement-based thermoelectric materials, and its ZT value is 42 times higher. Notably, self-powered cement-based metamaterials can continuously generate electricity as long as there is a temperature difference, filling the supply gap caused by the weather constraints of clean energy. Moreover, they perform excellently in mechanical properties, increasing compressive strength by 60% and toughness by nearly tenfold, solving the problem of insufficient mechanical properties in traditional thermoelectric materials.
The self-storing electric cement-based supercapacitor developed by the team maintains the high strength of cement while improving ion conductivity by six orders of magnitude. It exhibits excellent electrochemical reversibility and rapid charge transfer capabilities. After 20,000 charge-discharge cycles, it still retains 95% of its initial specific capacitance, demonstrating durability far exceeding existing battery materials. Based on this foundation, the team further developed energy storage materials using special magnesium phosphate cement, with an ion conductivity as high as 101.1 mS/cm, surpassing existing commercial solid-state battery materials. Calculations show that if made into energy storage wall panels, it could store about one day's electricity consumption for residential homes. When used in conjunction with photovoltaics, it can increase the utilization rate of photovoltaics by more than 30% and reduce electricity costs by over 50%.
It is reported that the core inspiration for these two innovative achievements of the team came from a deep observation of plant root systems. In nature, the layered woody structure of plant vascular tissues is not only strong and tough but also provides a "high-speed channel" for ion transport and regulates ion passage through interface selectivity. Inspired by this, the team replicated the microstructure of plant vasculature using the bidirectional freezing ice template method and filled the interlayer pores with flexible materials, achieving the unification of high strength, high toughness, and high ion conductivity in cement-based materials. This allows cement to possess dual attributes as both a building material and an energy carrier.
It is understood that the application prospects of bionic self-powered energy-storage concrete are broad, promising to reshape the energy landscape in multiple fields. In the construction sector, wallboards made of self-powered and self-storing cement can significantly reduce buildings' reliance on external grids, transforming them into "green energy bodies." In transportation scenarios, concrete pavements, due to their vast surface area, become "zero-carbon" service areas capable of generating and storing electricity. In the future, new energy vehicles will be able to wirelessly charge without relying on charging piles simply by driving on the road. In remote areas, devices such as unmanned base stations and environmental monitoring sensors will be able to operate stably relying on the self-powering characteristics of cement, effectively solving traditional power supply problems. In the low-altitude economy sector, self-powered concrete runways can provide obstacle-free takeoff and landing sites for aircraft while quickly replenishing their energy during stops, promoting safe and efficient urban air traffic development.
Changwen Miao stated that in the current global push toward carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, cement concrete materials are constantly rewriting the single attribute of traditional building materials being "structural load-bearing-energy consuming," moving toward green, low-carbon, multi-functional, and sustainable directions, constructing a new paradigm of "material-energy-environment" coordinated development. The research results of Southeast University's research team not only provide key technological support for the "dual carbon" goals but also predict that future buildings will transform from "environmental burdens" into "ecological partners," opening up infinite possibilities for human green intelligent living.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7502708370349097491/
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