Nov 20 2010
A group of researchers, guided by Prof. Keon Jae Lee of KAIST, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering and Prof. Zhong Lin Wang, of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, have advanced novel variants of effective, pliable nanogenerator systems, employing highly flexible piezoelectric thin film ceramic nano-materials that have the potential to transform even the minute human body motions such as blood flow and heart beats into electrical power.
By virtue of the piezoelectric effect, voltage is produced when a bending force or pressure is exerted on piezoelectric elements. The perovskite-modeled ceramics possess great piezoelectric capability. Till recently, the configuration of pliable electronic solutions from these ceramic elements was tedious because of their fragile nature.
The scientists could now successfully fabricate a biological environmental-friendly thin film flexible ceramic nanogenerator without any breakage.
Nanogenerator technology is a wireless energy producing system without using batteries and associates nanotechnology with piezoelectrics for use in portable electronics and in implantable biological sensors or can be deployed as a power source for micro robots. Natural energy sources such as vibration, wind and sound and the biomechanical effects generated by the blood flow, heart beats and muscle relaxation/contraction will create clean energy.
The nanogenerator technology advanced by Keon Jae Lee was fabricated on the earlier findings and deploys the identical methodology of converting the thin film ceramic nano-substances on sensitive substrates and generates voltage between the electrodes used for the purpose.
According to Prof. Zhong Lin Wang, inventor of nanogenerator, this unique technology will activate an LED by altering circuits and will produce sensitive touchable displays. He added that these barium titanate nano-materials exhibit high efficacy and lead-proof bio-compatibility, which can serve advanced medical purposes in the future.
Source: http://www.kaist.edu