The technology aims to drive new activities in sustainable health technology, with an emphasis on industrial scalability.
Researchers at the University of Surrey’s Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) have developed a new nanotechnology that could enable everyday movements, such as morning runs, to generate enough electricity to power wearable devices. The technology involves highly energy-efficient, flexible nanogenerators that have demonstrated a 140-fold increase in power density compared to conventional nanogenerators. This advancement has the potential to create nano-devices with efficiency comparable to modern solar cells. The new devices can convert small amounts of everyday mechanical energy, like motion, into a significantly larger amount of electrical power.
A traditional nanogenerator might produce 10 milliwatts of power, but this new technology could increase that output to over 1,000 milliwatts. This makes the technology suitable for various energy-harvesting applications. The nanogenerator operates by utilizing a charge regeneration effect. Instead of one electrode passing energy alone, each component of the system collects a charge, amplifies it, and then passes it on, significantly boosting the total energy collected. The team highlighted the potential of capturing energy from everyday movements, such as mechanical vibrations or ocean waves. The nanogenerator has been fine-tuned using a laser technique that enables scaling for manufacturing and further increases energy efficiency.
The technology is a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), which captures energy from simple, everyday movements by using materials that become electrically charged upon contact and separation, akin to static electricity. They announced plans to launch a company focused on self-powered health care sensors using this triboelectric technology. They also emphasized the relevance of local green energy solutions as the number of IoT devices is projected to surpass 50 billion. These nanogenerators could offer a sustainable solution for powering small devices, supporting smart systems, and addressing global challenges.
