Hybrid Piezoelectric Structure for Wearable Nanogenerator

초록

Human motion-based energy harvesting concept has huge technological interest in accordance with growing popularity of portable smart electronics. It is becoming more feasible due to advanced research for nano-electronics to operate at extremely low power-consumption so that the energy scavenged from the environment may be able to meet their working modes. Solar and thermal energies are most common and feasible sources of energy to be scavenged in our surroundings. However, these types of energies are time and location dependent. Especially for personal electronics, mechanical energy is most likely reliable and independent energy source since human activities are mostly based on mechanical movements regardless of environments. Harvesting energy from body motion or human activity has a strong potential, which can untie modern personal life from messy connections of wire for electric power supply. According to such concept, nanowire-based nanogenerators (NGs) built on textile fibers or solid substrates were demonstrated for harvesting mechanical energy produced by friction-motion of two fibers or ultrasonic waves. For scavenging the energy from mechanical movements especially human activities, until now, it is important to explore wearable and sustainable technologies that work at low frequencies and at various amounts/directions of deformation and that are based on flexible and durable materials.