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Researchers and colleagues at UCLA have designed a new device that generates electricity from falling snow. First of its kind, this device is inexpensive, small, thin and flexible, like a plastic sheet.
"The device can work in remote areas because it provides its own power and does not need batteries," said lead author Richard Kaner, Dr. Myung Ki Hong Chair of the University of Los Angeles (UCLA) in Materials Innovation. "It's a very smart device – a weather station that can tell you how much snow is falling, the direction the snow is falling, and the direction and speed of the wind."
Researchers call this a snow-based triboelectric nanogenerator, or TENG of snow. A triboelectric nanogenerator, which generates a charge by static electricity, produces energy from the exchange of electrons.
The results concerning the device are published in the journal Nano Energy.
Stuart Wolpert / UCLA
Maher El-Kady and Richard Kaner
"Static electricity results from the interaction of a material that captures the electrons and another that gives way," said Kaner, also a distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry, materials science and engineering, and member of the California NanoSystems Institute. at UCLA. "You separate the charges and create electricity from nothing."
The snow is positively charged and yields electrons. Silicone – a material similar to synthetic rubber composed of atoms of silicon and oxygen, associated with carbon, hydrogen and other elements – is negatively charged. When snow falls on the silicone surface, the charge captured by the device generates electricity.
"The snow is already loaded, so we thought, why not bring another material with the opposite charge and extract the charge to create electricity?" Said co-author Maher El-Kady, researcher assistant in chemistry and biochemistry at UCLA.
"While the snow likes to give away electrons, the performance of the device depends on the efficiency of the other material in extracting these electrons," he added. "After testing a lot of materials, including aluminum foil and teflon, we found that silicone produced more load than any other material."
Each winter, about 30% of the Earth's surface is covered with snow, during which time solar panels often do not work, noted El-Kady. Snow accumulation reduces the amount of sunlight reaching the solar panels, limiting the power output of the panels and making them less efficient. The new device could be integrated into solar panels to provide continuous power when it snows, he said.
Abdelsalam Ahmed
Hiking shoe with attached device
The device can be used to monitor winter sports, such as skiing, to more accurately assess and improve an athlete's performance when running, walking or jumping, Kaner said. It is also possible to identify the main movement patterns used in cross-country skiing, which can not be detected with a smart watch.
It could usher in a new generation of self-powered portable devices to track athletes and their performance.
It can also send signals indicating whether a person is moving. He can tell when a person walks, runs, jumps or walks.
The research team used 3D printing to design the device, which features a silicone layer and an electrode to capture the charge. The team believes that the device could be manufactured at low cost, given "the ease of manufacture and availability of silicone," Kaner said. Silicone is widely used in the industry, in products such as lubricants, electrical wire insulation and biomedical implants. It now offers a potential for energy recovery.
Co-authors include Abdelsalam Ahmed, who completed the research at the end of his PhD at the University of Toronto; Islam Hassan and Ravi Selvaganapathy from McMaster University of Canada; and James Rusling of the University of Connecticut and his research team.
Kaner's research was funded by Nanotech Energy, a research-based company (Kaner is chairman of its scientific advisory board and El-Kady is head of technology); and the chair of Dr. Kaner Myung Ki Hong's studies in materials innovation.
Kaner's laboratory has produced many devices, including a membrane that separates oil from water and cleans debris left by fracking. Fracturing is a technique for extracting shale gas and oil.
Kaner, El-Kady and his colleagues designed in 2017 a device that can use solar energy to create and store energy economically and efficiently, which could be used to power electronic devices and create hydrogen for environmentally friendly cars. This year, they published a study on the design of the first self-extinguishing and flame retardant power and motion sensor, which could be incorporated into footwear or clothing worn by firefighters and others working in harsh environments.
Kaner is one of the world's most influential and most cited scientists. He was selected as a recipient of the 2019 Chemistry Pioneers Award from the American Institute of Chemists, which recognizes chemists and chemical engineers who have made outstanding contributions that advance the science of chemistry or have an impact considerable influence on the profession.
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