Just by Walking for Harvesting Electrical Energy

The computer is mounted in the body is increasingly prevalent and in the near future, we can recharge easily. A new type of nano generator is able to change the walking motion into electricity that can be supplied to our gadgets.

Zhong Lin Wang and colleagues at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta managed to collect electricity made ​​from two different surfaces that touch each other and then separate them. This technique is called the triboelectric effect, or a similar process to bring static electricity.

Triboelectric Nano-generators (Tengs) stored in a backpack. In order to produce electricity, the researchers coat one side of a plastic card with a layer of aluminum that is filled with nano-sized holes. The other side has a layer of copper and has a number of polymer nano fibers on its surface. Then they arranged the cards like a rhombus shape (see diagram).

Triboelectric Nano-generators 
(TENGs) diagram. (Picture from:
  http://www.newscientist.com/)

In the trials, a backpack weighing 2 kg generate more electricity than 1 watt when the user is running. Enough to run 40 LEDs simultaneously. Backpack that exist today, using electromagnetic induction is capable of generating electricity from 5 to 20 watts, yet its weighs was 10 times heavier.

Similar experiments were carried out using the same method to recharge the lithium- ion batteries. Wang predicts the future, TENGs will be made directly to cell phones sensors, and other computers that can be used in the body. Not long ago, he and his team had been making independent generator capable of supplying power to the smartphone. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | NEWSCIENTIST | NANOWERK]

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