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The Power of Small Bending Motions

Posted February 04, 2016 12:00 AM by Engineering360 eNewsletter

Researchers at MIT have developed a new method of harvesting energy from small movements that promises an almost unlimited power supply for biomedical, mechanical, and environmental monitoring devices. Based on electrochemical principles, the proposed energy-harvesting system consists of a polymer electrolyte encased by two layers of lithium-alloyed silicon electrodes. When this sandwich of materials bends, unequal stresses cause lithium ions to migrate across the electrolyte, producing a compensating electron current that can be harnessed by an external circuit. When the bending relaxes, the process reverses. This device can repeat the process thousands of times to produce energy.

Editor's Note: This news brief was brought to you by the Power Supplies & Devices eNewsletter. Subscribe today to have content like this delivered to your inbox.

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user-deleted-1105
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#1

Re: The Power of Small Bending Motions

02/04/2016 2:21 AM

Thousands of times???

Oh my aching sides... stop it stop it ... Oh it hurts.

Thousands...? Well that's no damn use then is it?

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user-deleted-1105
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#2
In reply to #1

Re: The Power of Small Bending Motions

02/04/2016 2:41 AM

BTW.. I just noticed the phrase "...almost unlimited..."

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texasron
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#3

Re: The Power of Small Bending Motions

02/04/2016 8:25 AM

Just use a piezo, geee! I mean they are even in kids shoes.

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Mr. small
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#4

Re: The Power of Small Bending Motions

02/08/2016 12:24 PM

I wonder if trees actually has some sort of energy converting components.

If this research will progressed, wind generation would be the least, burying a stick every where, or put it on the hair perhaps

And this

looks obsolete by then

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user-deleted-1105
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#5
In reply to #4

Re: The Power of Small Bending Motions

02/08/2016 12:43 PM

Trees do react to the wind by growing asymmetrically and laying down compression wood to resist the bend. On a horizontal limb the central pith (centre of the growth rings will be above the geometric centre, the growth rings will be more tightly spaced on the upper side.

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Mr. small
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#6
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Re: The Power of Small Bending Motions

02/09/2016 9:21 PM

But, it has nothing to do with the absorption of the kinetic energy from the wind right? It must be a sort of some defensive mechanism.

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#7
In reply to #6

Re: The Power of Small Bending Motions

02/10/2016 3:16 AM

No one really knows, is it the compression forces of the wind that effect the growth? Or what... I don't think they really understand how sapwood converts to heart wood.

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Mr. small
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#8
In reply to #7

Re: The Power of Small Bending Motions

02/10/2016 3:49 AM

hahaha, you are a funny man!

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