New fabric generates electricity from sunlight and wind

Discussion in 'Architecture & Engineering' started by Plazma Inferno!, Sep 21, 2016.

  1. Plazma Inferno! Ding Ding Ding Ding Administrator

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    The combination of rising populations, climate change, and depleted natural resources has emphasized the need for sustainable technology. This technology isn't limited to big devices like photovoltaic panels and wind turbines; recently, a team of researchers has developed a textile capable of harnessing energy from both sunlight and wind.
    The team developed a fabrication strategy that merged two different lightweight, low-cost polymer fibers to create energy-producing textiles. The first component of the textile is a microcable solar cell, able to gather power from ambient sunlight. The second is a nanogenerator capable of converting mechanical energy into electricity.
    Components were woven together with copper wire. This was done using an industrial weaving machine, so no specialized equipment is needed. The end result was a wearable textile that exhibited an interlaced, single-layer structure with a thickness of 320µm.
    The researchers demonstrated the ease of the weaving process by fabricating colorful textiles with arbitrary size and weaving patterns. They also integrated the textile into many common fabric items, such as cloth, curtains, and tents.
    Under ambient sunlight, and in the presence of wind blowing or human motion, the textile swatch was able to charge a small commercial capacitor up to 2V in one minute. The textile could continuously power an electric watch, charge a cell phone, and even drive water-splitting reactions, releasing hydrogen.
    Due to the breathability, flexibility, and robustness of the textile, it is a prime candidate for wearable electronics. Using a textile swatch of 4×5cm, the team evaluated the textile’s properties on a person who was walking under sunlight (80 mW/cm2 intensity). The textile was highly deformable and responded well to human motion. They found that the fabric was able to deliver an output power of 0.5 mW even when elements in the circuit itself drew significant amounts of power (with loading resistances ranging from 10 KΩ to 10 MΩ).
    Overall, the fabric doesn't generate a lot of electricity. But it has the advantage of being able to generate electricity where it may be needed.

    http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/09/new-fabric-generates-electricity-from-sunlight-and-wind/
     
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  3. geordief Valued Senior Member

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  5. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    I can charge a small commercial capacitor to 2000V by shuffling my feet on the carpet and touching it. That's really not saying much.
     
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  7. geordief Valued Senior Member

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    Michael Jackson could have have generated his very own personal laser display to light up his routine

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    Chuck Berry too.
     
    ajanta and Plazma Inferno! like this.
  8. Beaconator Valued Senior Member

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    My radiator has fiberglass... doesnt make it a wind tunnel...
     
  9. Xmo1 Registered Senior Member

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    Thunder, lightning, rain, and sweat might make a person an excellent lightening rod in the spring. Add to that corrosive and abrasive underwear in the new water deprived washing machines. Why do you smell like copper? Oh, it's my sweater. It can blink 'wassup.' Ooo, that itches, but no prob. It's industrial.
     
  10. Michael 345 New year. PRESENT is 72 years oldl Valued Senior Member

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    Electrical stimulation has been used to make muscles twitch which snake oil salesmen sell you as being able to tone up muscles loose weight ease pain

    Imagine what they will do with suit or dress of the material as described

    Wear this
    Stand in the sun
    In only 30 minutes without moving
    Men will look like Arnie
    Women like Pam
    Both will loose weight
    All aches and pains will vanish

    If I had a outfit made of such material I only like a couple of features

    It can keep my mobile charged (saving me the bother) and a well insulated crotch region (saving me any bother)

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  11. Write4U Valued Senior Member

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    How about a solar suit that will charge your laptop, cell-phone, camera, or epirb. Would be great for camping out or going to countries without electricity. How hard would it be to have some flexible solar panels sewn in your clothing or the visor of a baseball cap?
    Dang, I should patent some of my ideas.
     
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2017
  12. Michael 345 New year. PRESENT is 72 years oldl Valued Senior Member

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    Isn't that what I put?

    I do have a solar panel power bank which is attached to my back pack. It can be charged via USB if required. I haven't recharged it via USB for a long time. When I turned on the charge indicator lights it was still reading full

    So do we go from
    Laundry to
    Dry Cleaners to
    Clean and Recharge R Us?

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  13. Write4U Valued Senior Member

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    Well yes, but then you went on a free-thought tangent where you lost me.
     
  14. Michael 345 New year. PRESENT is 72 years oldl Valued Senior Member

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  15. Write4U Valued Senior Member

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    Yep, if constructed in a fractal fashion. Your cellphone has a fractal antenna.

    Fractals can be shaped to receive every possible wave length. All at the same time!
     
  16. Write4U Valued Senior Member

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    Damn, there goes another patent on one of my brilliant ideas.....

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