Eco Factor: Nanogenerators to be used for power generating clothing.
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have created energy-harvesting nanofibers that could be woven into textiles and the clothes we wear to generate renewable electricity for our portable mobile gadgets. These nano-sized generators have piezoelectric properties that allow them to convert normal body movements into electricity.
The technology could eventually lead to wearable “Smart Clothes” that power hand-held devices using nothing more than body movements. Since these fibers are to be made from organic polyvinylidene fluoride, they are flexible and easy to manufacture.
Having diameters as small as 500 nanometers, these fibers can generate electric outputs ranging from 5 to 30 mV. Furthermore, the researchers report no noticeable degradation after stretching and releasing the nanofibers for 100 minutes at a frequency of 0.5 hertz. During tests, these researchers demonstrated energy conversion efficiencies as high as 21.8 percent, with an average rating of around 12.5 percent.
Via: Science Daily
