Scientists report that soon a regular morning run will allow you to charge your gadget batteries for a long time. An amazing nanogenerator developed by employees of the University of Surrey will help with this. The device is at least 140 times more powerful than all previously proposed solutions in this area, which in the future may make it possible to abandon solar panels for charging many things and sensors.
Image source: University of Surrey
This nanogenerator belongs to the so-called triboelectric generators, when energy is extracted through motion or friction. The breakthrough was made in an area that allows charge regeneration and amplification, reaching record levels of generated power density. If alternative schemes allow generating up to 10 mW of energy, then the solution proposed by British scientists promises to bring it up to 1000 mW (1 W). This means that nanogenerators based on collecting energy from movement and vibrations can easily power even smartphones, not to mention microsensors and chips built into the body. Here it is, the Holy Grail for adherents of chipping humanity!
Scientists from the University of Surrey have developed a generation scheme that is somewhat similar to a relay race, with the baton being passed on to the next runner, as the developers explain.
«The dream of nanogenerators is to capture and use energy from everyday movements, such as a morning jog, mechanical vibrations, ocean waves or opening a door. The key innovation of our nanogenerator is that we have advanced the technology with 34 tiny energy collectors using laser technology, which can be scaled up for production to further improve energy efficiency,” explain the inventors.
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Let us add that an article about the development is freely available on the Nano Energy magazine website.