Journal ArticleDOI
Microfibre–nanowire hybrid structure for energy scavenging
TLDR
This work establishes a methodology for scavenging light-wind energy and body-movement energy using fabrics and presents a simple, low-cost approach that converts low-frequency vibration/friction energy into electricity using piezoelectric zinc oxide nanowires grown radially around textile fibres.Abstract:
Nanodevices don't use much energy, and if the little they do need can be scavenged from vibrations associated with foot steps, heart beats, noises and air flow, a whole range of applications in personal electronics, sensing and defence technologies opens up. Energy gathering of that type requires a technology that works at low frequency range (below 10 Hz), ideally based on soft, flexible materials. A group working at Georgia Institute of Technology has now come up with a system that converts low-frequency vibration/friction energy into electricity using piezoelectric zinc oxide nanowires grown radially around textile fibres. By entangling two fibres and brushing their associated nanowires together, mechanical energy is converted into electricity via a coupled piezoelectric-semiconductor process. This work shows a potential method for creating fabrics which scavenge energy from light winds and body movement. A self-powering nanosystem that harvests its operating energy from the environment is an attractive proposition for sensing, personal electronics and defence technologies1. This is in principle feasible for nanodevices owing to their extremely low power consumption2,3,4,5. Solar, thermal and mechanical (wind, friction, body movement) energies are common and may be scavenged from the environment, but the type of energy source to be chosen has to be decided on the basis of specific applications. Military sensing/surveillance node placement, for example, may involve difficult-to-reach locations, may need to be hidden, and may be in environments that are dusty, rainy, dark and/or in deep forest. In a moving vehicle or aeroplane, harvesting energy from a rotating tyre or wind blowing on the body is a possible choice to power wireless devices implanted in the surface of the vehicle. Nanowire nanogenerators built on hard substrates were demonstrated for harvesting local mechanical energy produced by high-frequency ultrasonic waves6,7. To harvest the energy from vibration or disturbance originating from footsteps, heartbeats, ambient noise and air flow, it is important to explore innovative technologies that work at low frequencies (such as <10 Hz) and that are based on flexible soft materials. Here we present a simple, low-cost approach that converts low-frequency vibration/friction energy into electricity using piezoelectric zinc oxide nanowires grown radially around textile fibres. By entangling two fibres and brushing the nanowires rooted on them with respect to each other, mechanical energy is converted into electricity owing to a coupled piezoelectric–semiconductor process8,9. This work establishes a methodology for scavenging light-wind energy and body-movement energy using fabrics.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
A portable high-efficiency electromagnetic energy harvesting system using supercapacitors for renewable energy applications in railroads
TL;DR: In this paper, a portable high-efficiency electromagnetic energy harvesting system with supercapacitors that converts the energy of track vibrations into electricity is developed, which can be used in remote areas for safety facilities or in standby power supplies for rail-side equipment.
Thermoelectric Nanogenerators Based on Single Sb-Doped ZnO Micro/
Nanobelts Yang,Ken C. Pradel,Qingshen Jing,Jyh Ming Wu,Fang Zhang,Yu Sheng Zhou,Yue Zhang,Zhong Lin Wang +7 more
TL;DR: In this article, a thermoelectric nanogenerator (NG) made from a single Sb-doped ZnO micro/nanobelt that generates an output power of about 1.94 nW under a temperature difference of 30K was demonstrated.
Journal ArticleDOI
A high performance P(VDF-TrFE) nanogenerator with self-connected and vertically integrated fibers by patterned EHD pulling
TL;DR: A patterned electrohydrodynamic (EHD) pulling technology was proposed to fabricate a new self-connected, piezoelectric fiber array vertically integrated P(VDF-TrFE) nanogenerator, with a molecular poling orientation fully aligned to the principal excitation for maximized conversion and a well-bridged electrode pair for efficient charge collection.
Journal ArticleDOI
Piezoelectric Materials for Energy Harvesting and Sensing Applications: Roadmap for Future Smart Materials
Susmriti Das Mahapatra,Preetam Chandan Mohapatra,Adrianus I. Aria,Graham Christie,Yogendra Kumar Mishra,Stephan Hofmann,Vijay Kumar Thakur,Vijay Kumar Thakur +7 more
TL;DR: In this article, a review of recent developments in piezoelectric nanostructured materials, polymers, polymer nanocomposites, and polyamide films for implementation in energy harvesting is presented.
Journal ArticleDOI
Strain effects in low-dimensional transition metal oxides
TL;DR: In this paper, a comprehensive review of recent developments in studies of strain effects in transition metal oxide ultra-thin films and nano/microwires is presented, focusing on the work of strain-controlled electromechanical response in piezoelectric oxides and strain-induced metal-insulator transitions as well as domain physics in strongly correlated electron oxides.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Piezoelectric Nanogenerators Based on Zinc Oxide Nanowire Arrays
TL;DR: This approach has the potential of converting mechanical, vibrational, and/or hydraulic energy into electricity for powering nanodevices.
Journal ArticleDOI
Ballistic carbon nanotube field-effect transistors
TL;DR: It is shown that contacting semiconducting single-walled nanotubes by palladium, a noble metal with high work function and good wetting interactions with nanotube, greatly reduces or eliminates the barriers for transport through the valence band of nanot tubes.
Journal ArticleDOI
Coaxial silicon nanowires as solar cells and nanoelectronic power sources
Bozhi Tian,Xiaolin Zheng,Thomas J. Kempa,Ying Fang,Nanfang Yu,Guihua Yu,Jinlin Huang,Charles M. Lieber +7 more
TL;DR: These coaxial silicon nanowire photovoltaic elements provide a new nanoscale test bed for studies of photoinduced energy/charge transport and artificial photosynthesis, and might find general usage as elements for powering ultralow-power electronics and diverse nanosystems.
Journal ArticleDOI
Energy scavenging for mobile and wireless electronics
Joseph A. Paradiso,Thad Starner +1 more
TL;DR: A whirlwind survey of energy harvesting can be found in this article, where the authors present a survey of recent advances in energy harvesting, spanning historic and current developments in sensor networks and mobile devices.
Journal ArticleDOI
Direct-current nanogenerator driven by ultrasonic waves
TL;DR: A nanowire nanogenerator that is driven by an ultrasonic wave to produce continuous direct-current output and offers a potential solution for powering nanodevices and nanosystems.