A robust thin-film droplet-induced electricity generator

Haomin Song; Zongmin Bei; Aleksandr S Voronin; Uma Pratheebha Umaiya Kunjaram; Tadd T Truscott; Udo Schwingenschlögl; Johannes S Vrouwenvelder; Qiaoqiang Gan

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2024.109291

A robust thin-film droplet-induced electricity generator

iScience. 2024 Feb 21;27(3):109291. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109291. eCollection 2024 Mar 15.

Authors

Haomin Song¹, Zongmin Bei^{2

3}, Aleksandr S Voronin⁴, Uma Pratheebha Umaiya Kunjaram³, Tadd T Truscott⁵, Udo Schwingenschlögl⁴, Johannes S Vrouwenvelder⁶, Qiaoqiang Gan^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Material Science Engineering, Physical Science Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
² Shared Instrumentation Laboratories, School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA.
³ Department of Electrical Engineering, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA.
⁴ Applied Physics, Physical Science Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Mechanical Engineering, Physical Science Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Division of Biological Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

The pursuit of cost-effective, high-voltage electricity generators activated by droplets represents a new frontier in hydropower technology. This study presents an economical method for crafting droplet generators using common materials such as solid polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) films and readily available tapes, eliminating the need for specialized cleanroom facilities. A thorough investigation into voltage-limiting factors, encompassing device capacitance and induced electrode charges, reveals specific areas with potential for optimization. A substantial enhancement in the open-circuit voltage (V_oc) was achieved, reaching approximately 282.2 ± 27.9 V-an impressive increase of around 60 V compared to earlier benchmarks. One device showcased its capability to power 100 LEDs concurrently, underscoring its efficacy. Ten such devices created diverse luminous patterns with uniform light intensity for each LED, showcasing the practical potential of the approach. The methodology's cost-effectiveness results in a remarkable cost reduction compared to solution-based materials, paving the way for the widespread adoption of large-scale water droplet energy harvesting.

Keywords: Applied sciences; Energy systems.