Jiao Shipu, Zhang Yihao, Li Yang, Maryam Bushra, Xu Shuo, Liu Wanxin, Liu Miao, Li Jiaxuan, Zhang Xu, Liu Xianhua
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300354, China.
Polymers (Basel). 2023 Oct 13;15(20):4079. doi: 10.3390/polym15204079.
Collecting energy from the ambient environment through green and sustainable methods is highly expected to alleviate pollution and energy problems worldwide. Here, we report a facile and flexible hydrovoltaic generator capable of utilizing natural water evaporation for sustainable electricity production. The generator was fabricated by coating nano-AlO on a twistable polyethylene terephthalate film. An open circuit voltage of 1.7 V was obtained on a piece of centimeter-sized hydrovoltaic generator under ambient conditions. The supercapacitor charged by the hydrovoltaic device can power a mini-motor efficiently. Moreover, by expanding the size or connecting it in series/parallel, the energy output of the generator can be further improved. Finally, the influence factors and the mechanism for power generation were primarily investigated. Electrical energy is produced by the migration of water through charged capillary channels. The environmental conditions, the properties of the solution and the morphology of the film have important effects on the electrical performance. This study is anticipated to offer enlightenment into designing novel hydrovoltaic devices, providing diverse energy sources for various self-powered devices and systems.
通过绿色可持续的方法从周围环境中收集能量，被寄予厚望以缓解全球的污染和能源问题。在此，我们报道了一种简便且灵活的水力发电机，它能够利用自然水蒸发来实现可持续的电力生产。该发电机是通过在可扭曲的聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯薄膜上涂覆纳米氧化铝制成的。在环境条件下，一块厘米尺寸的水力发电机获得了1.7V的开路电压。由该水力发电装置充电的超级电容器能够高效地为一个微型电机供电。此外，通过扩大尺寸或串联/并联连接，发电机的能量输出可以进一步提高。最后，初步研究了发电的影响因素和机制。电能是由水通过带电毛细管通道的迁移产生的。环境条件、溶液性质和薄膜形态对电性能有重要影响。这项研究有望为设计新型水力发电装置提供启示，为各种自供电装置和系统提供多样化的能源。
