DEVICE HARVESTS ENERGY from Wind, Rain, or Smartphone Scrolling

摘要

The mechanical energy involved in touching a smartphone screen or being struck by a raindrop could be converted into electricity using a new energy harvesting concept devised by Penn State researchers. It contrasts from other methods of harvesting energy from motion, which normally generate current from constant vibrations. The scientists say that they have built a device to capture energy from gentler and more infrequent motions, like scrolling through a news article on a smartphone. They described the device in a paper published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials, a transducer made out of an organic polymer that creates electricity when compressed.