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Directory:Piezoelectric

Table of contents

1 Principle

Principle

Impact is converted to electricity.

Power from Fabrics (http://www.technologyreview.com/Nanotech/20278/?nlid=876) - Researchers at Georgia Tech have made a flexible fiber coated with zinc oxide nanowires that can convert mechanical energy into electricity. The fibers, the researchers say, should be able to harvest any kind of vibration or motion for electric current. (MIT Technology Review; Feb. 14, 2008)

Motion to energy generator (http://media.cleantech.com/2096/m2e-captures-8m-with-kinetic-energy) - M2E Power (http://m2epower.com/) is developing a motion to energy generator that could replace batteries and even be used in large scale applications. The company is working on a D-cell battery sized solution to power mobile devices and plans to to demonstrate the technology's usefulness in wind, wave power and hydro applications. (Cleantech.com; Nov. 16, 2007)

Nanowire Extracts Energy from Motion (http://www.technologyreview.com/Nanotech/19602/?nlid=616) - Researchers at the University of Illinois are working on making a nanogenerator out of barium titanate, which exhibits a greater piezoelectric effect than zinc-oxide, to convert miniscule mechanical energy into electricity for biosensors and tiny portable devices. (MIT Technology Review; Oct. 22, 2007)

"Wind Tree" Electrical Generator - Imagine harnessing the power of hundreds of leaves fluttering in the wind. Richard Dickson is developing a passive wind harvesting technology that uses piezoelectric materials woven into textile-like material to form artificial leaves for a bio-mimicking "tree".

Piezoelectric Generator - Richard Dickson proposes using the piezoelectric effect for generating electricity, where pressure turns into electricity, from environments such as wave action or roadway impact. The question is one of cost and feasibility, not whether or not it would work.

Advanced Cerametrics (http://www.advancedcerametrics.com/) - Extreme Life Span Micro Power Supplies convert up to 70% of energy from ambient vibration to electrical power using piezoelectric composite fibers. They eliminate battery replacement issues for security sensors, monitoring equipment, machine health condition systems, building controls and process controls.

Backpack straps harvest energy to power electronics (http://www.physorg.com/news108897656.html) - All that rubbing of your backpack straps on your shoulders may be put to good use, now that researchers have designed a novel type of energy harvesting backpack with straps made of a piezoelectric material that can convert the mechanical strain on the straps into electrical energy. (PhysOrg'; Sept. 13, 2007)

Wind-Generated Electricity Using Flexible Piezoelectrics (http://www.ece.umn.edu/groups/power/workshop_feb06/Piezo%20Wind%20Gen%20Orlando%20Feb2006.pdf) (pdf) - Flexible piezoelectric bimorph flaps in the wind like a flag. Bending stresses caused by flapping generate charges and hence voltages. Estimated efficiency 0.01 - 0.1%

A Novel Method of Harvesting Wind Energy through Piezoelectric Vibration for Low-Power Autonomous Sensors (http://nanopower.darnell.com/schedule.php) - As a piezoelectric fan is powered by an AC power source, wind flow is generated by the flapping of the piezoelectric fan. Using the reverse effect of the piezoelectric fan for electrical power generation, when wind flows past the flexible piezoelectric bimorph flaps, bending stresses caused by flapping generate charges and hence electrical voltages at the output of the piezoelectric flaps.

Harvesting Rain Power Via Piezoelectric Landing Pads - Scientists from CEA/Leti-Minatec in France have developed a system that recovers the vibration energy from raindrops falling on a piezoelectric structure. The system works with raindrops ranging in diameter from 1 to 5 mm. Simulations show that it's possible to recover up to 12 milliwatts from one of the larger "downpour" drops.