2023 Author: Bryan Walter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 22:24
Schematic representation of the constructed prototype.
An international team of researchers has developed a compact, wearable generator that generates electricity when moved by the wrist. The work was published in the journal ACS Nano.
To power the prototype designed by the authors, two different generators are used. The electric generator is an acrylic case measuring 30x36x36 millimeters, in which there are six coils and a magnetic ball rolling between them. The triboelectric generator is a two-layer watch strap constructed from two different materials, which, when the ball vibrates in the case, generate an electric current while rubbing against each other.
Assembled wristwatch prototype.
Assembled wristwatch prototype.
As the developers note, the energy generated by the hybrid generator for 39 seconds is enough to power the clock for 456 seconds, if a one hundred microfarad capacitor is installed as a storage device. If you install a lithium-ion battery instead of a capacitor, then 32 minutes of natural movements (for example, when walking) will provide 218 minutes of work of the wristwatch.
The researchers believe that the use of such hybrid generators could help develop self-contained wearable devices that will not need an external power source or trickle charging. The authors note that for this, first, it is necessary to significantly reduce the size of the device.
