such as the snap of one's fingers into electricity — into power for a cellphone or MP3 player are now much closer to making the leap from the laboratory into everyday life.
Called nanogenerators, these devices are made of so-called piezoelectric materials that generate a current of electricity when stretched or strained. So far, however, nanogenerators have not been able to crank out enough power to be useful.
Now, researchers have boosted the voltage and power output of these tiny generators to the point where they can power electronic components, including a light-emitting diode and a liquid crystal display.
"In the past, our voltage was less than one volt, so we could not power anything," said lead researcher Zhong Lin Wang, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "But now we can achieve three volts or even as high as five to 10 volts so that we can store the generated charge and use it to power those small devices."
The nano-scale chargers could be ready for commercial use in five years, Wang said.
Some applications include putting the chargers in the sole of a shoe to generate electricity from foot movement. The little power plants could also go inand other fabrics, such as window curtains, or e
留言列表
