Nanotechnology in
Transportation
 Fabrication
 Mechanics
 Infrastructure
http://www.ampro.com/Applications/Transportation.htm
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Urban-Studies-and-Planning/11-953Spring-2006/CourseHome/index.htm
From roads to bridges, from planes to trains,
from cars to bikes, and ships to busses.
How can small
science help us
travel such a
planet?
big
How Big Is Nano?
http://www.terressentials.com/exposure.html
http://www.nano.gov/html/facts/The_scale_of_things.html
What Does Transportation Look Like?
http://www.princeton.edu/~ina/infographics/transportation.html
Nanotechnology Transportation
Goals
Using nanoscience technology, scientists
hope to improve the transportation industry
in three main ways:
 Protect and Improve
the Environment
 Improve safety
 Improve comfort
http://www.rff.com/Transportation_Plan.gif
1. Behind the Wheel
It won't be long and you'll
be driving! Imagine,
nearly three quarters of a
billion cars are currently
being driven around the
world.
Pollutant emissions and
the need for recycling and
disposal are a big
concern.
Researchers, developers
and industry are
searching for new
nanotechnology solutions
for the transportation
industry.
http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/index.php?command=view&id=209&program=Cascadia&isEvent=true
Areas of Vehicle Nanoscience Research
Thanks to nanotechnology, look for vehicle
improvements in the following areas. A few of these will
be described on the following pages.
 Anti-glare and dirt-resistant
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window materials
Wear-resistant super-grip tires
Corrosion protection
Lightweight materials
Individually varying colors
Wear-resistant mechanical parts
Electronic safety sensors
New drive and emissions concepts
http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/spinoff2001/ames.html
Ames Research Center
conducts research using
nano-scale assembly to create
sensing elements, among
other things. They are using
protein-based nanotubes,
potentially capable of selforganization and replication.
image: http://nanopedia.case.edu/NWPage.php?page=transportation
Bling!
An Australian company
nano-based water repellant
product is said to increases
visibility in wet weather by
up to 34%. The company
website states, "Nothing
clings to Bling! Bugs, Snow,
Ice and Rain comes right
off!"
http://www.greentechforum.net/category/news/2007/07/04/if-it%e2%80%99s-in-bling-nanotech-must-be-mainstream
http://nanopublic.blogspot.com/2007/07/need-nano-bling.html
Windshields
Designs are
currently being
developed for
windows that wrap
all the way around
vehicles.
Nanoparticles and nanofibers make this
possible. These nanoparticles provide
extremely high transparency and stiffness.
Besides making driving safer with better allround vision, it also would be lighter.
Look for transparent solar cells for car windows,
soon, with the help of nanotechnology.
Source: Dr. U. König, DaimlerChrysler AG
http://www.nanotruck.de
Better Protection
Click on the following link to find a list of
ways vehicles can be protected by just
one nanotechnology company!
Nanotechnology Innovations
Your Bike and
Nanotechnology
To save energy and for exercise,
some of us ride bicycles, but a
lightweight bicycle is always easier to
pedal. Carbon nanotubes are tiny
cylinders of carbon atoms that have
100 times the strength of steel but
weigh much less. Nanotechnology
has helped make a bicycle that
weights less than three pounds and
is extra durable.
http://discovermagazine.com/2008/feb/06-see-through-bike
http://delta7sports.com/products.html
2. Mechanics
Better Batteries with Nanoscience
A123Systems has taken a different approach to
developing nano-enabled car batteries. The
battery uses the advantage of increased surface
area of particles at the nanoscale nanoparticles
to provide a quicker source of greater power.
http://www.nano.org.uk/features.htm
Fuel Cells using
Nanotechnology
 Cheaper fuel cell vehicles can be made
possible with the help of an enzyme
connected electrically to a carbon
nanotube. The National Renewable Energy
Labs in Colorado combining the super tiny
strands of carbon with hydrogenese, a
"biohybrid" catalyst. This process
eliminates the need for platinum, an
expensive component in traditional fuel
cells.
http://www.physorg.com/news114703218.html
Lighter Nanotech Cars
Save Fuel
 Ford has an idea for dealing with the energy
crisis. Nanotechnology can make cares 250 to
750 pounds lighter without compromising the
structural integrity of the vehicle. Lightening
the vehicles will have much better gas
mileage.
http://jalopnik.com/380964/ford-looking-to-nanotechnology-for-future-design
http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/04/ford-turns-to-n.html
A Better Catalytic
Converter
Mazda created a new catalytic
converter using nanotechnology.
Catalytic converters help to purify
exhaust emissions.
With nanoscience these catalytic converters use 70 to 90
percent less metals, like platinum, rhodium and palladium,
which speed up chemical reactions of pollutants such as
nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. The
converters rely on nanoparticles of the catalytic metal, each
less than five nanometers in diameter, embedded into fixed
positions onto the surface of tiny ceramic spheres.
See how it works on the next page.
http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=2913.php
http://maremare1225.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/catalytic-converter-location.jpg
Nano-sized Secrets
In the past the problem of placing nanoparticles on a
surface like this resulted in the migration and
collection of nanoparticles into one place,
(agglomerating). That’s a problem when working with
nanoparticles due to the laws of quantum mechanics.
(Quantum = small). Somehow, Mazda has overcome
the problem, and they’re not telling how!
That’s Nano-Slick!
Using nano-boric acid
particles in motor oil
reduces friction in
automobile engine parts
can have less friction.
This boric acid 'rose' shows
the intricately layered
microscopic structure of the
compound.
http://nanotechnologytoday.blogspot.com/2007/08/nano-boric-acid-makes-motor-oil-more.html
3. Infrastructure
Nanotechnology can also be found in the
construction and monitoring of roads.
Nanomaterials are found in construction materials
including concrete, asphalt, aggregates, and even
pavement marking materials. Research into nanophosphors could someday illuminate the streets, not from
above, but from within! Guardrails may someday heal
themselves, or concrete or asphalt that heal their own
cracking using nanotechnology.
http://pubsindex.trb.org/document/view/default.asp?lbid=847888
http://whrpnews.org/images/12-07/joint_distress1.jpg
http://radio.weblogs.com/0105910/2004/08/04.html
Sensors
Advanced sensor technology
using nanochips is available
for transportation
applications. Due to the lower
cost and easy installation,
sensors have been placed in
the pavements, bridges,
inside concrete and asphalt,
and even inside vehicles.
There are nanosensors on
the Golden Gate Bridge to
monitor its behavior. These
nanochips can provide
wireless communication to
improve safety.
http://radio.weblogs.com/0105910/2004/08/04.html
Social, Environmental and
Ethical Concerns
1. Might these nanotechnology developments in
transportation infringe on human rights?
2. Could any of them decrease privacy of individuals?
3. Could the use of nanotechnology for transportation
have unwanted and negative environmental effects?
4. What economic impact could the use of
nanotechnology in transportation have on
producers, consumers, and other industries?
Might they be negative or positive?
What About Your
Rights?
If so, are these developments
more important than
•Your privacy?
•Your rights as a citizen?
•Your rights as a human being?
Are the answers somewhere in between?
Research Questions
To prepare for your presentation,
answer the following questions
using reference materials which
can include the websites linked
to this webquest:
1. What can be done to maximize the
chances that humans will benefit from,
rather than be harmed by, new
developments?
2. If we can develop these technologies,
should we? Why?
http://pro.corbis.com/images/42-16672735.jpg?size=572&uid=%7B44615E22-1598-41FF-B99B-9268F07BE014%7D
Transportation Weblinks
These are websites which are a good place to start looking for more
information on nanotechnology in transportation. You may also wish to
use the reference links at the bottom of many of the pages within this
presentation. Then use the general website page linked at the bottom of
this page. It is chock full of nanotechnology sites related to multiple
areas including yours.
Vehicles
 http://www.drivers.com/article/887
Infrastructure Materials
 http://www.irmca.com/projects/birk.asp

Click on the topics on the left of the webpage for more
information at
 http://www.nanoforum.org/educationtree/modernlife/modernlife-
construction.htm
Sensors
 http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_4359023
 http://www.sensorsmag.com/sensors/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=3
61237
General Nanoscience Weblinks
More Help
 If you would like help breaking down your
research into steps, click on the help
button for an outline.