Introduction: Is the concept of wind power still stuck in the whirring of big windmills? Are your impressions of solar power generation still limited to boxy solar panels? Maybe one day, our clothing fashion will travel back to ancient times – wide sleeves and fluttering skirts, because there is a new type of fabric that can generate electricity when walking in the sun and blowing in the wind.
Research into using physical movement to generate electricity from fabrics has been ongoing for many years. Recently, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology finally took their research a step further and developed a fabric that can harness both wind and solar energy. If these two power generation modes can be combined and used in textiles, it will be possible in the near future to develop clothing that can charge small electronic devices.
“This hybrid textile provides a completely new solution for charging electronic devices by just walking around on a sunny and windy day,” said Zhonglin Wang, a professor of materials science and engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
The research was published in Nature Energy on September 12. To prepare the fabric, Professor Wang’s team used ordinary looms to interweave lightweight polyester fibers and fiber-based triboelectric nanogenerators. Triboelectric nanogenerators can combine friction effects and electrostatic induction to generate a small amount of electrical energy during mechanical movements, such as rotation, sliding and vibration.
Professor Wang imagines that if this new 320μm-thick fabric is woven with wool, it can be made into tents, curtains or wear-resistant clothing. “This fabric has very good toughness, is breathable, lightweight, and has a wide range of applications,” Professor Wang said.
Fiber-based triboelectric nanogenerators can capture electrical energy generated when specific materials come into frictional contact with other materials. For the part of the fabric that uses solar energy to generate electricity, Professor Wang’s team made the positive electrode into a special-shaped yarn shape and intertwined it with other fibers.
“The main material of this textile is common polymer materials that are inexpensive and environmentally friendly,” Professor Wang said. “The electrodes are also made using low-cost processes, which makes large-scale manufacturing possible.”
In an experiment, Professor Wang’s team used a piece of fabric the size of A4 paper to make a colorful flag, then stretched the flag out of the car window and drove the car on a cloudy day. The researchers could detect the power generation of the fabric during movement. . The researchers also used a 4cm×5cm piece of fabric and moved it under the sun. The electricity generated in the experiment could charge a 2mF commercial capacitor to 2V.
“This shows that it can work well in harsh environments.” Professor Wang Zhonglin said.
This fabric can also continue to work to charge electronic watches, directly charge mobile phones, and can also drive water decomposition reactions. While it was speculated from previous research that the fabric could be used over and over again, this was not confirmed, so next steps will be devoted to investigating its long-term durability. Future research goals also include further optimizing fabrics for industrial production, including appropriate rain and moisture protection to protectElectrical components.
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