Scientists Discover How to Charge Your Phone by Clapping or Dancing

[KohSung]

Scientists have now found a way to power future gadgets just by clapping or even dancing. The new green energy technology is based on triboelectricity, which allows users to generate their own electricity through motion and vibrations. Asian American researchers from Clemson’s Nanomaterials Institute (CNI) created the ultra-simple triboelectric nanogenerator or, U-TENG, back in 2017. 

 

U-TENG is a tiny device made of plastic and tape that generates electricity when the two materials are brought together. The electrical energy produced by clapping hands or tapping feet is detected by a wired, external circuit and then stored in a capacitor or a battery.

 

The invention now also has a wireless version called the W-TENG, which uses utilizes a combination of Teflon and a multi-part fiber containing the ultra-thin material graphene. W-TENG, which has a maximum capacity of 3,000 volts, is able to generate an electric field that can transmit energy to up to 3 meters. 

 

“It cannot only give you energy, but you can use the electric field also as an actuated remote,†Sai Sunil Mallineni, the study’s author noted. “For example, you can tap the W-TENG and use its electric field as a ‘button’ to open your garage door, or you could activate a security system — all without a battery, passively and wirelessly.â€

 

While the research team is currently working on finding a more environmentally-friendly alternative to Teflon, they are already in talks with industrial partners to develop practical applications of the technology.

 

Link: https://nextshark.com/triboelectricity-scientists-develop-electricity-clapping/