Power Shirt As A Motion Power Charger
The power of mechanical energy, like wind and river flow produce, was recognized as an alternative electric power source long time ago. In that case every motion can deliver electricity! And every person performs lots of motion daily.
If the power tie is familiar to you, another device is taking advantage as a motion power charger – a power shirt. It generates electricity as a person perform physical motion and can charge small electronic devices for either soldiers, sportsmen and those who are on the move.
Power shirt has a nanogenerator that consists of two fibers as they rub together for producing an electrical current. Garment has many of that fiber pairs covered with zinc oxide wires or alternately with gold, which is enough to produce current flow. This exceptional nanogenerator can be woven into all structures that produce motion, vibration – any mechanical energy (let’s say tents or even curtains).
The way nanogenerator produce energy is quite economical and will convert any cloth into a wearable and flexible power source. One nanogenerator (with two fibers, each one centimeter long) can produce 4 nanoamperes and 4 millivolts.
The product was developed by Zhong Lin Wang, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. His team has already made 200 fiber nanogenerators and each was tested properly. They counted that a square meter of fiber-made fabric may generate approximately 80 milliwatts of power. Their next step is to combine lots of fiber pairs to increase current and voltage.
However there is a significant problem – zinc oxide can’t stand moisture! so you would hardly ever wash your power charger. So washing machines should be avoided not to damage nanowires. In fact, no one is protected from the rain, so some extra measures to protect this technology should be taken, otherwise it would be spendthrift to own such an extravagant suit.
