Cardboard Energy Harvester, DIY Energy Pulses for Pennies

[FSogol]

LAKE WALES, Fla.—A very simple energy harvesting do-it-yourself (DIY) project turned into a major curiosity at the 29th IEEE International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems. The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland (EPFL) showed how to take thick paper (cardboard), a pencil and tape to created an instant-on switch that produced as much energy as a standard AA battery.

Invented by EPFL postdoctoral researcher Xiao-Sheng Zhang, the only oddball component not found around every household is teflon tape used to seal plumbing threads—commonly found in many toolboxes.

"When teflon tape comes into repeated contact it generates two effects--triboelectrification and electrostatic induction,"

The device on display at IEEE MEMS 2016 measured just eight square centimeters and generated about three volts of power at a current level compatible to two AA batteries. Researchers from the University of Tokyo also contributed to the project.

Rest of article here:
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1328776&_mc=NL_EET_EDT_EET_pcbdesignline_20160127&cid=NL_EET_EDT_EET_pcbdesignline_20160127&elq=b85bbbe012a24e628872bc3a0ada4448&elqCampaignId=26713&elqaid=30557&elqat=1&elqTrackId=6364092526ae435c888782f074789f14#msgs

[kentauros]

1. Cool!

Incorporate it into some kinetic mechanism (small wind catching device), add a capacitor, and you've got a steady flow of power.

[PoliticAverse]

2. The video demonstration doesn't involve producing anything near the power from two AA batteries.

Last edited Thu Jan 28, 2016, 05:21 PM - Edit history (1)

They used an LCD display because of the extremely low power levels involved in their operation (there's a reason
solar powered calculators use LCDs).

[FSogol]

3. Yeah, I noticed that too. Still a cool story. n/t

[hunter]

4. Bad science reporting... again.

"energy" DOES NOT EQUAL "voltage."

Same voltage as two AA cells, nowhere near the same "energy"

[Iggo]

5. Oh! "Pennies."