Static Electricity Could Create More Sustainable & Longer-Lasting Power Sources

Struggling with the life of your smartphone battery? Well, most of us are. And surprisingly, a possible solution to this problem could be static electricity. A common form of electricity that is not fully understood. A new study done at the University of Buffalo suggests that the cause behind this hair-raising phenomenon is tiny structural changes that happen on the material surface when they are in contact with one another. This finding can lead to technological companies creating a longer-lasting and sustainable power source for small electronic devices.

 

Almost everyone has seen someone's hair stick to a balloon or zapped their finger around a doorknob, said James Chen, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and applied Sciences at the University. To use this energy in our daily lives, we need to know the driving forces acting behind it, Chen added.

 

The study is supported by a $400,000 National Science Foundation Grant. Along with Chen, Zeyn Laseman, PhD, associate professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering at Kansas State University is also involved in the research on triboelectric effect, phenomenon where a material becomes electrically charge due to friction from another material.

 

We have known this effect since ancient times, but there are no ways through which we can understand and practically use it. It has become a little feasible though due to nanotechnology.

 

The study can potentially solve this ancient mystery and also, integrate with the existing theory. The numerical results are also in line with the published experimental observations. The research work is performed with a mix of disciplines like electrical engineering, solid mechanics, contact mechanics, materials science and manufacturing. Chen and Leseman are also engineering triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) using physical experiments and computer models that can both control and harvest static electricity.

 

Friction between your wrist and smartwatch, fingers and smartphone screen, even between your show and the ground can work as the potential sources of energy. The research work can create economic security and reduce our dependence on conventional sources of power.

 

 

By: Neha Maheshwari

Content: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190125120117.htm