All posts tagged: energy harvesting

The quantum effect that could power next-gen, battery-free devices

The quantum effect that could power next-gen, battery-free devices

Published by Jenni Sidey

A wafer-thin flake of bismuth telluride can act a little like a one-way street for electricity, even when the push comes from an alternating signal. But the direction of that “street” is not fixed. Moreover, if you warm the material up, the signal can flip. That temperature-triggered reversal sits at the center of a new study of the nonlinear Hall effect. This is an unusual quantum response that can turn alternating current into direct current without a magnetic field. The work was led by Professor Dongchen Qi at Queensland University of Technology’s School of Chemistry and Physics and Professor Xiao Renshaw Wang at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. It traces the effect to a tug-of-war inside the material: tiny imperfections dominate at low temperatures. On the other hand, crystal vibrations take over closer to room temperature. Unlike a conventional rectifier that relies on diodes and other components, the nonlinear Hall effect can generate a DC output straight from an AC drive. That matters because many ambient energy sources, including wireless signals and other radio-frequency fields, …

New coating helps solar panels generate electricity from raindrops and sunlight

New coating helps solar panels generate electricity from raindrops and sunlight

Published by Jenni Sidey

While they may appear to be insignificant, raindrops’ impact on surfaces can create measurable electrical signals when specific conditions exist. Scientists from Spain have now demonstrated that the impact of a drop can create over 100 volts of electricity and support the operation of a photovoltaic solar cell by producing additional current through rainfall under adverse weather conditions. This work was conducted at the Materials Science Institute in Seville, a collaboration between the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Seville. The researchers created a dual energy harvesting device that had never before been combined. The device uses a thin coating to protect the fragile solar cell materials and, at the same time, captures mechanical energy created by the fall of water. “The work we have conducted is an innovative method to integrate perovskite-type solar cells and triboelectric nanogenerators into a thin film configuration, which establishes the potential for combining these two energy harvesting techniques in one device,” stated researcher Carmen Lopez. Hybrid energy-harvesting systems that combine perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with drop-driven …

Flexible nylon film generates electricity from compression

Flexible nylon film generates electricity from compression

Published by Jenni Sidey

A thin sheet of nylon does not look like much on its own. But in lab tests, a film made by researchers at RMIT University kept generating electricity after being folded, stretched, and even run over by a car, again and again. That kind of toughness matters because the basic trick the film uses is simple: squeeze it, and it produces an electric charge. Materials that do this are called piezoelectric, from the Greek word for “to press.” Quartz, some ceramics, and even bone can behave this way. Piezoelectric parts already sit inside modern vehicles, including fuel injectors, parking sensors, and airbag systems. The RMIT team’s aim is a flexible alternative that can survive real-world punishment and harvest energy from everyday pressure and motion. Members of the RMIT University research team with the newly developed nylon‑film energy‑harvesting device. Pictured (L–R): Dr Yemima Ehrnst, Dr Peter Sherrell, PhD researcher Robert Komljenovic and Associate Professor Amgad Rezk. (CREDIT: Will Wright, RMIT University) Turning tough nylon into an energy generator The work is led by Distinguished Professor Leslie …