New nano-device technology could rival the energy efficiency of solar cells

The new nanogenerators can convert small amounts of everyday mechanical energy, like motion, into a significantly higher amount of electrical power. 

For instance, the researchers said that if a traditional nanogenerator produces 10 milliwatts (mW) of power, their new technology could increase that output to over 1000 mW, making it suitable for energy harvesting in various everyday applications.

ATI's nanogenerator works like a relay team: instead of one electrode passing energy charge by itself, each electrode collects charge, adds more and then passes it all to the next, boosting the overall energy that is collected in a process called the charge regeneration effect.

"The dream of nanogenerators is to capture and use energy from everyday movements, like your morning run, mechanical vibrations, ocean waves or opening a door. The key innovation with our nanogenerator is that we've fine-tuned the technology with 34 tiny energy collectors using a laser technique that can be scaled up for manufacture to increase energy efficiency further,” Md Delowar Hussain, lead author of the study from Surrey University, said in a statement.

"What's really exciting is that our little device with high energy harvesting density could one day rival the power of solar panels and could be used to run anything from self-powered sensors to smart home systems that run without ever needing a battery change."

The device is a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) which the researchers said works by using materials that become electrically charged when they come into contact and then separate.

Professor Ravi Silva, co-author of the study and director of the ATI said: "With the ever-increasing technology around us, it is predicted that we will have over 50 billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices in the next few years that will need energy to be powered.

“Local green energy solutions are needed, and this could be a convenient wireless technology that harnesses energy from any mechanical movements to power small devices. It offers an opportunity for the scientific and engineering community to find innovative and sustainable solutions to global challenges."

Looking ahead, the researchers said they are set to launch a company specifically focused on self-powered, non-invasive healthcare sensors using the triboelectric technology.

The study, published in Nano Energy, can be accessed and read in full here.