Georgia Institute of Technology researcher Zhong Lin Wang has applied his remarkable research breakthrough – flexing zinc oxide nanowires produces current – to building a nanogenerator for ” a portable, adaptable and cost-effective technology for powering small electronic devices.” He has built an array of nanowires that can produce nanoamperes of power through flexing induced by vibrations and waves – a nanogenerator.
Flexing the nanowires through vibration (like sound waves) produces a current in the wire. When the wire bends far enough to touch a discharge electrode, the current is transferred. So, the more the nanowire gets bent or vibrated, the more current it produces. But, the technology is still in its infancy and is only capable of nano-scale power generation, as of now.
With a theoretical power density of 4 watts per cubic centimeter, Wang says that “our next goal is to grow bigger nanowire arrays to raise the nanogenerators’ current to microamperes, and to build a three-dimensional structure to raise the voltage to 0.5 V so that it can be used for powering devices.” But, before that can be accomplished, Wang and his team will have to hit the lab to figure out a way to control the length of nanowires. Too long, and the wires will always be touching the electrodes, but, too short and the nanowire will never touch.
Forget charging your mobile device through the air. No need to fret that your new phone will only stay alive for 40 minutes. Imagine recharging your cell phone through the vibrations of your music. Oh no, my cell phone needs a recharge – I guess I’ll just turn up the bass!
Via: EETimes