Vimalkumarp: Here are a couple of previous stories we did about energy harvesting, with a little bit of info about using temperature gradients as a source:
Thanks for the reply, vimalkumarp. My area of coverage for DN is materials, not energy harvesting per se, which is why I wrote about the Power Felt fabric. Several of us DN editors report on energy harvesting and SHM (although none of us are experts) and I'm especially interested in materials that aid SHM for aircraft. I've passed on your contact info to my colleagues. In any case, please do let us know when you are done with the thesis and have your results.
energy harvesting is excellent idea but one important aspect is that the design should consume less power. This is how an energy harvesting application can complement or vice versa a low power consuming design.
Ann, that is my PhD thesis. I am planning to use Energymicro lowpower processor and energy harvesting from Linear technology. I will update you as I progress. my mail id is perec.vimal@gmail.com . Please do give me your mail id so that i can send you my review paper and also synopsis if you are interested to read. i am trying to explore the possiblilies of energy harvesting for SHM for aricrafts
I am a biomedical engineer and i am keen to explore this in vital parameters monitoring too. Do enlighten me about your ideas so that i know more about energy harvesting. I will update you about my PhD as time progresses.
vimalkumarp, that sounds like a really interesting energy harvesting application you describe. Can you tell us anything about how it works, or are the details under wraps right now?
Mydesign, I think you have a good point. The power crunch in portables is extreme enough that a combination of walking- and non-walking-activated methods may well be needed.
On heat transfer:This material is converting the energy (temperature) differential to another form of energy differential (electrical potential, or Voltage), which creates electrical current.I would believe that this would not change the heat storage characteristics of the coat, etc., significantly for two reasons:
1.Entropy:The material is not "creating" energy, but routing it.
2.Magnitude:We're probably talking microAmperes, or at best milliAmperes – probably not a significant enough energy exchange to be felt...
This whole concept sounds like a great idea to me - in our low-power device world - if applied well and if efficiencies can make it up to a useful level.
On ESD (electrostatic discharge): I would not think such a material would build a static field charge, but rather dissipate it (or maybe even USE it?).
From the standpoint of thermal dynamics, I would assume that since the fabric produced electricity it also causes the cool side to warm up and the warm side to cool down. So if I as a consumer buy a coat made of this fabric to stay warm and charge my phone with it. Since the warm side is being cooled, will the coat be able to keep me warm?
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