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Harvesting power from the air
A centuries-old clock built for
a king is the inspiration for a
group of computer scientists and
electrical engineers who hope to
harvest power from the air. The
clock, powered by changes in
temperature and atmospheric
pressure, was invented in the
early 17th century by a Dutch
builder. Three centuries later,
Swiss engineer Jean Leon Reutter
built on that idea and created the
Atmos mechanical clock that can run for years without needing to be wound manually.
University of Washington, Seattle, researchers took inspiration from the clock’s design
and created a power harvester that uses natural fluctuations in temperature and pressure
as its power source. The device harvests energy in any location where these temperature
changes naturally occur, powering sensors that can check for water leaks or structural de-
ficiencies in hard-to-reach places and alerting users by sending out a wireless signal.
A metal bellows about the size of a cantaloupe is filled with a temperature-sensitive
gas. When the gas heats and cools in response to outside air temperature, it expands and
contracts, causing the bellows to do the same. Small cantilever motion harvesters are placed
on the bellows and convert the kinetic energy into electrical energy. This powers sensors
attached to the bellows, and the data is sent wirelessly to a receiver. For more information:
, .
Modified titania shows potential as superconductor insulator
Research from North Carolina State University, Raleigh, shows that a type of modified
titania, or titanium dioxide, holds promise as an electrical insulator for superconducting
magnets, allowing heat to dissipate while preserving the electrical paths along which cur-
rent flows. Superconducting magnets are being investigated for use in next-generation
power generating technologies and medical devices.
“Superconducting magnets need electrical insulators to ensure proper operation,” says
Sasha Ishmael, a postdoctoral researcher at NC State. “Changing the current inside the su-
perconductor is important for many applications, but this change generates heat internally.
The magnets will operate much more safely if the electrical insulators are able to shed ex-
cess heat. Otherwise, the higher temperatures could destroy the superconductor. This ti-
tania-based material is up to 20 times better at conducting heat than comparable electrical
insulators. It has characteristics that are very
promising for use as electrical insulators for
superconducting technologies.” For more in-
formation: Sasha Ishmael, 919.515.5063,
, .
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES • NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 12
E NERGY T RENDS
briefs
A research team led by Mark
Hersam, professor of materials
science and engineering and the
Bette and Neison Harris Chair of
Teaching Excellence at
Northwestern University’s
McCormick School of
Engineering, Evanston, Ill.,
created a new type of carbon
nanotube (CNT) solar cell that is
twice as efficient as its
predecessors. It is also the first
CNT solar cell to have its
performance certified by the
National Renewable Energy
Laboratory. The secret lies in the
CNT’s chirality, which is a
combination of tube diameter and
twist. When a thin sheet of carbon
is rolled into a nanotube, several
hundred different chiralities are
possible.
.
Graphene 3D Lab Inc., Calverton,
N.Y., submitted a provisional
application to the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office regarding
materials and methods for 3D
printable batteries. The ability to
3D print electrochemical devices,
such as batteries and
supercapacitors, will contribute to
significant expansion of
commercial applications for
additive manufacturing. 3D printed
batteries have several advantages
over traditional ones—their shape,
size, and specifications can be
easily adjusted to fit the particular
device design. .
A new thermal power harvester uses naturally changing
ambient temperature as its power source.
Paul Chu, founding director of the Texas Center for Superconductiv-
ity at the University of Houston will lead a group of investigators as
they build a unique piece of equipment designed to further their re-
search and ultimately help make superconductivity and thermoelec-
tricity more commercially viable. The work will be covered under a
$780,000 grant from the Department of Defense, as part of the De-
fense University Research Instrumentation Program. The program
supports the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment to improve or
develop university capabilities for performing cutting-edge defense
research and graduate student training. For more information: Paul
Chu, 713.743.8222, , .
Energy dispersive
x-ray spectroscopy
image taken within
a scanning electron
microscope
illustrates a Bi2212
wire shown in blue
and green, coated
with the titania-
based insulation
shown in red.
Courtesy of Sasha
Ishmael.