2024-07-22 07:04:04
Yonghui Zhang and his colleagues at Dalian University of Technology in China have developed a device they call a superhydrophobic magnetoelectric generator (MSMEG), which is basically a can-sized container with a water-repellent film cover glued to a coil of wire. When a raindrop hits the film, it deforms momentarily, moving the coil relative to the magnet inside the canister and creating a small electrical charge.
In tests with simulated raindrops falling from a height of 50cm, the MSMEG produced a peak current of around 13 milliamps – and was able to charge a small capacitor in 200 seconds, which then powered the LEDs and propellers. Due to the hydrophobic surface, raindrops fall off the device quickly, so it can work even in continuous rain.
David Stone of the University of Sheffield (UK) says the device is interesting but impractical. “We already have the power of rain,” he says. “It’s a well-known way of extracting energy from rain: it’s called damming the rain and using it for hydroelectric power.” Because the rain falls in rivers and is collected together, economies of scale can be exploited, he says.
For smaller-scale power generation, solar and wind power offer much simpler solutions, Stone says. “Trying to extract energy from raindrops seems a bit strange,” he concludes.
The study is published žurnale „ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces“.
Parengta pagal „New Scientist“.
2024-07-22 07:04:04