NANOTECHNOLOGY IN

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
INVITED PAPER DELIVERED AT THE ANNUAL ENGINEERING
CONFERENCE OF THE NIGERIAN
SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS (NSE)CANAAN 2011
BY ENGR. PROFESSOR D.O.N.OBIKWELU FNSE, FNMS, SPX
UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA

PREAMBLE

I wish to congratulate and appreciate the Nigerian

Engineers especially the members of the technical
committee for inviting me to talk on Nanotechnology thein-thing in modern science, engineering and technology
and most importantly on its impact on Transportation
Systems.
My Presentation Format is as follows:
Introduction--- Nano Story.
Challenges of Transportation Systems.
Nanoscience and nanotechnology on Transportation.
Health, Safety and Environment(HSE) implications of this
new field.
Conclusion---Any take-home for the Nigerian Engineer?

INTRODUCTION: NANO STORY

The new field of nanoscience and nanotechnology was
attributed to Richard Feynman, a Physics Professor at
California Institute of Technology, a Nobel Prize Laurette
who in his work on quantum electrodynamics postulated
that there is plenty of room at the bottom of materials and
asked a question,Can we handle materials the way nature
has done?
Nano is a size scale and a nanometer is one billionth of a
meter, 10-9 meter. Nano materials have size features on
the scale of around 1nm to 100nm.
The term nanotechnology was coined by a Japanese,
Taniguchi in 1974 to roughly describe traditional machining
down to smaller than one micron of silicon.
The study, design, application, production and development
of materials with features of that size range is nanoscience
and nanotechnology.

NANO STORY CONTD.

Building units of matter are in nanoscale hydrogen atom is

0.1nm in size, molecules about 1nm in diameter, human cells
ranging from 5000 to 200,000nm.

An average human hair is about 80,000 nanometer wide.

The gold particles sprinkled unto glass windows by early glass

workers to create beautiful colors especially on church
windows are gold nanoparticles.

Even the Gunier and Preston zones popularly known as G-P

zones observed in the Al-Cu alloy systems since 1939 were
disks of diameter 80 x 10-10 meter and thickness 3 to 6 x
10-10 meter on the aluminum lattice fell into the nano size
range and were the source of strength behind those materials.

NANO STORY

Nano particles have high surface to volume ratio creating

new quantum mechanical effects and a new field of
nanomechanics.
Nanomaterials with novel mechanical properties resulted
from nanomechanics approach to materials development.
The reduction in the size scale shows different and unique
properties compared to what they exhibit on a micro-scale,
for example
materials like copper which is opaque become transparent
when it is nano.
inert platinum becomes catalytic in nanoform.
aluminum in nano form becomes combustible,
gold in nano form turns liquid at room temperature,
insulators like silicon become conductors in nanoform.

NANO STORY AND QUANTUM MECHANICS

Continuum mechanics direct things such as gravity
and Newtons laws change when we drop down to
nanoscale.
Quantum Mechanics or discrete processes which
describe special properties of matter at the smallest
levels take over from Continuum Mechanics in
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.
Nanomaterials behave quantum mechanically
according to the quantum theory.
Things that happen at nanoscale do not happen at
macro or bulk scales. Here lies the curiosity and
excitement in nanomaterials and its technology.

SOME NANOMATERIALS
FULLERENES, C60 are allotropes of carbon made from
graphene sheets rolled into tubes or spheres.
Graphene are formed from worm-like graphite.
Fullerenes include carbon nanotubes or silicon
nanotubes which are of interest because of their
mechanical strength and electrical properties.
They can be used to bind specific antibiotics to attack
resistant bacteria and cancer cells.
They can be produced when high voltage is sent
between two graphite electrodes in an inert
atmosphere. The resulting carbon plasma arc between
the electrodes cools into sooty residue from which
many fullerenes can be isolated.

FULLERENES

DEVELOPMENT OF FULLERENE, AN ALLOTROPE OF

CAFBON
Smalley and coworkers at Houston U.S.A developed
this new class of carbon material called fullerenes
nicknamed buckyball but officially known as
Buckminster fullerene in honor of an inventor and
architect R.Buckminster who designed and built the
first geodesic dome.
In April 2005 Students at Rice University Houston
built the world largest nanotube with 65000 blue
plastic balls to enter the Guiness Book of Records.
Imagine the normal conductor electric
cable with copper wire coated with rubber (note the
dimensions and weight) and the conductor nanotube
inside a bigger diameter nanotube (note the nano
dimensions and weight) and consider the efficiency of
this nano conductor, size, cost? etc).

TOYING WITH ATOMS USING NANOHANDS.

CARBON NANOTUBE

NANOMATERIALS AND THEIR FEATURES

NANOMATERIALS made of nanoparticles are nanocrystals

from metals, semiconductors, oxides and polymers.
They are of great scientific importance as they are a bridge
between bulk materials and atomic or molecules.
They exhibit size-dependent properties such as quantum
confinement in semiconductors, surface plasmon resonance
in some metals and super-paramagnetism in magnetic
materials, copper nanoparticles smaller than 50nm are
super hard and neither malleable nor ductile unlike the wire
or ribbon copper from copper bulk material which are
ductile and malleable.
Ferroelectric nanomaterials, less than 10nm can switch
their magnetization direction using room temperature
thermal energy thus making them useless for memory storage

NANOMATERIALS CONTD.
Gold nanoparticles appear deep red to black in
solution.
Nanoparticles provide tremendous driving force
because of the high surface area to volume ratio.
Their surface effects reduce the incipient melting
temperature.

QUANTUM DOTS

NANOMATERIALS CONTD.

Quantum dots are semiconducting nanoparticles like cadmium

sulphide, cadmium telluride, cadmium selenide which are able
to trap electrons in small spaces.
Qdots as they are called contain a single amount of charge and
fluoresce depending on the size and specific energy levels.
The quantum dots fluoresce in different colors of the spectrum
depending on their size and composition.
Quantum dots have been used in live cell molecular dynamics
monitoring for protein-protein interaction, disease detection in
deeper tissues and cancer detection.
Carbon nanoparticles have been used as a reinforcing agent
for polymeric materials at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Qdots, quantum wires (line),quantum wells (flat) confine
electrons to negligible dimensions comparable to deBrogles
wavelength (wavelength=h/mv); h=planks constant,
m=particle mass, v=velocity of the particle)

NANOMATERIALS CONTD.
Nanoshell (gold coated silica) with novel light
absorption and reflectivity absorbs infra red and
so prevents infra red (13cm) penetration of
human tissue.
Nanoscale silica used as dental fillers.
Nano whiskers used as stain resistant additives
to fabrics. Such nano treated fabrics become
hydrophobic and repel penetrating stains.
Nanorobots (nanobots) from molecular
assemblers dangerous beings and concepts that
should be used in sustaining humanity and not
fighting it.

NANO MATERIALS STRUCTURES CONTD.

gold nanorods,
nanocomposites,
nanomulti-layer structures,
plasmonic materials for biosensing and optical applications,
Nanocomposites (nanoscale particles in plastics, ceramics and
metal).
nanoparticles doped with rare-earth elements for the
production of luminescent metals applied to the design of
LEEDS (light emitting diodes),
solar cells,
lenses,
nanodiamond obtained by explosion of carbon dioxide.
Nanocrystalline materials generally include of 1 to 100nm and
they strong, hard, ductile at high temperatures, wear,
corrosion resistant and chemically active because of the high
surface to volume ratio.

CHALLENGES IN TRANSPORTATION
SYSTEMS

As the world human population is increasing in geometrical

progression, passenger vehicles are trailing in arithmetical
progression.
In 2002 alone 55 million passenger vehicles were sold in a
developing country.
Pollution, safety, aesthetics, traffic monitoring, weight,
better performance and engine efficiency (fuel savings) top
the list in the challenges of the automobile system.
In the aerospace safety, weight, power consumption,
electronics, air purification ,sensors and controls, actuators,
traffic monitoring and electromechanical systems constitute
the major challenges.
Nanotechnological development could be the answer to the
problems posed by the current world population of about 7
billion people.

IMPACT OF NANOTECHNOLOGY ON
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
Nanotechnology has answers to many transportation problems
Materials and Coatings of transportation vehicles:
Development of nano carbon fibres that are 100x stronger
than steel at one-sixth the weight.
Carbon nanotubes coatings, nanocomposites for structural
reinforcement and safety, antifog coatings for windscreens and
mirrors, self cleaning, self coating, anti-corrosion coatings, fuel
filter housings, smart tyres.
Replacement of carbon black with nanoparticles of inorganic
clay and polymers for tyres that are environmentally friendly
and wear resistant.
New cooling fluids and ferrofluids.
Low friction nanocomposite coatings.
Car rear windows, car fenders are replaced with plastic
composites strengthened by carbon nanotubes or nanoclay for
performance and safety.

ENERGY
For Energy considerations this new field has produced
Nanosensors that monitor vehicle emissions and trigger
traps of pollutants.
High efficiency solar cells for powering various systems.
Hydrogen storage for fuel cell advanced electrodes coated
with nanoNiFe catalysts to accelerate the production of
clean hydrogen for industrial applications.
Carbon based nanostructures that serve as hydrogen
super-sponges in vehicle fuel cells.
Energy accumulators ---battery cells are positioned
between a super capacitor and a battery permitting rapid
power charging and discharging which can be useful in
regenerative braking for hybrid cars and buses.

ENERGY
Nanocatalysts (nanoparticle catalysts for fuel economy).
Nanoadditives for lubricants and cleaning, self-cleaning,
antifogging (antidew),antiabrasion, anticorrsion selfrepairing coatings in use in Toyota, General Motors, Ford
and RollsRoyce.
Large amount of engine heat loss especially from diesel
engines can be avoided by coating engine cylinders with
nanocrystalline ceramics like zirconia and alumina.
There is possibility in this new field of developing
alternatives to gasoline and diesel powered engines by
storing efficiently hydrogen in nanoporous materials that
would enable hydrogen powered cars.

PAINTS AND COATINGS

This new field introduced
Carbon nanotube-based paints.
Materials
for the nano coating of metallic surfaces to
achieve super hardening, low friction and
enhanced corrosion protection of transportation
structures.

NIGHT VISION SYSTEMS

High transmittance infra red polymers embedded

with nanoparticles.
High sensitive IR sensors that continually monitor
the condition of the roads, bridges and other
infrastructure.
Carbon air quality monitoring.

INTERIORS OF TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES

Nanotechnology introduced
Advanced functionalized textiles.. Nanofibers are
weaved into the fabric making it water-proof, dirt
resistant, breathable and wind proof.
Nanofilters for air control.
Electrochromic glasses
Onboard information (thin film displays,
interactive glasses, microshutter displays based
on carbon nanotubes).

LIGHTING
The field has also made inroads into lighting in
the following
Electro-optical films.
New lighting sources
Electro chromic coatings.
Optical switches

AUTOMOTIVE BRAKE SYSTEM

Braking system weight (and total car weight can
drop reasonably well) by using aluminium or
nanotube composites in the braking system while
increasing acceleration.

IGNITION SYSTEM
Spark plugs electrodes wear out fast because of
hot corrosion and erosion during the burning of
gasoline.
This new field introduces nanomaterials in the
spark plug system which are stronger, harder and
more wear and erosion resistant. The new plug
called railplug made from nanomaterials last
longer and burn faster and more efficiently than
regular spark plugs.

NANOTECHNOLOGY IN TRAFFIC
MONITORING
Many people in Europe and the United States now
integrate intelligent transport systems(ITS) into their
transportation system infrastructure to help monitor
and manage traffic flow and reduce congestion.
Traffic flow sensors provide real time information for
various services like traffic signal control toll road
metering or on-board navigation systems.
Carbon nanotube/cement composite nanosensors that
could relate compressive stresses developed by
vehicle loading and the electrical resistance in the
sensors have been developed.
This self sensing nanocomposite cement has potential
for traffic monitoring use such as in vehicle detection,
weight in-motion measurement and vehicle speed
detection.

TRAFFIC MONITORING
An interesting aspect of this work is that, from the eventual traffic application's point of view, the
pavement itself would become the traffic detection, thus eliminating the need for separate traffic flow

detection sensors.
Illustration of self-sensing concrete pavement for traffic flow detection. (Reprinted with permission from
IOP Publishing)

TRAFFIC FLOW MONITORING

Researchers at the University of Minnesota in the United

States, Professor Yu and Co-workers developed
piezoresistive thin-walled carbon nanotube sensors.

For efficiency in operation the carbon nanotubes should be

well dispersed in the cement.

Using the nanocomposite as pavement material makes the

pavement itself a traffic detector eliminating the need to
have a separate traffic flow detection sensors.

MISCELLANEOUS IMPACTS

Use of smart materials that monitor and assess their own status
and repair any defect thus avoiding unexpected failure or fire.
Use of nano-base communication systems like nanosensors that
continually monitor the condition of and performance of roads,
bridges and other infrastructures.
In space transportation like supersonic aircraft, low power,
radiation hardened computing units for autonomous space
vehicles space systems are miniaturized like in smart sensors and
probes.
Nanosensors that monitor vehicle emissions and trigger traps for
pollutants have been referred to earlier.

MISCELLANEOUS IMPACTS CONTD.

Smart sensors applied to car windows are
excellent for collision avoidance and
chemical/biological weapon detection at airports.
Nancatalysts reduce or eliminate emission of
pollutants from the engine.
Photonic nanodevices replace the heavy and
costly radio frequency transmission, monitor and
control, sense physical variables around a
transportation system.

IMPACT OF NANOTECHONOLOGY:SUMMARIZED
IN AN AUTOMOBILE BELOW

HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT(HSE)

IMPLICATIONS
We know that every stride into technology to solve human
problems is accompanied by risks and dangers, after-all the
environment will not like it, so
Specialized approaches for testing and monitoring the effects of
these nano materials on human health and the environment
should be developed along our determination to harness the
potentials of nanotechnology in transportation.
HSE information on nanotechnology is available at
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hsinf1.pdf
It might be necessary to develop a type of Geiger counter for
detection and measure of nanoparticleson the human
operating in nanoenvironment.

NANOTECHNOLOGY CLEANS THE ENVIRONMENT!!!

When pollutants have destroyed some key members of the
ecosystem, nanotech can come to the rescue by using
molecular machinery and new molecular manufactured
products to break down toxic materials.
Nanotech can break down pollutant materials that are not
biodegradable .
Nanotech through remediation can re-initiate activities that
have been discontinued because some key elements in the
ecosystem like microbes have been destroyed by uncontrolled
pollution.
Nanotech clean-up restores the ecosystem activities and the
environment will be continuously clean.

WHAT DO ALL THESE MEAN TO THE

NIGERIAN ENGINEER!!!
Will the Nigerian Engineer ensconce himself or herself
like some other Nigerians to squander and devastate
the fruits of the land waiting for the Creator that had
long finished creating to come to his or her rescue?
The Nigerian Society of Engineers is urged to support
this innovative technology with all her might by
constituting a Committee on Nanotechnology for
National Development and driving it to the highest
levels of Government, realizing that this new
Technology which is naturally gaining popularity
worldwide could be the answer to the many problems
of man in his environmentthe world.

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