Variable Capacity Polymer based Energy Harvesters with Integrated Macroporous Elastomer Springs

Qixiang Jiang; Veronika  Otáhalová; Victor Burre; Hannah Leese; Milo S.P. Shaffer; Robert Hahn; Angelika Menner; Alexander Bismarck

doi:10.1016/j.nanoen.2024.109460

Variable Capacity Polymer based Energy Harvesters with Integrated Macroporous Elastomer Springs

Qixiang Jiang
, Veronika Otáhalová
, Victor Burre
, Hannah Leese
, Milo S.P. Shaffer
, Robert Hahn
, Angelika Menner
, Alexander Bismarck

Imperial College London
University of Vienna
Institute for Reliability and Microintegration (IZM)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

We introduce a manufacturing concept of variable capacity energy harvesters consisting of macroporous springs integrated within a conducting silicone rubber and dielectric. Printing and polymerising emulsion templates resulted in macroporous spring elements, which were coated with conducting silicone rubber to maintain the active contact surface. By increasing size and number of these springs, the capacitance change of the energy harvesters during compression and recovery increased from 0.4 nF/cm2 to 0.8 nF/cm2. During cyclic loading with 30 N at 2 Hz, the energy harvesters with macroporous springs delivered a power density of 0.58 µW/cm2 at a bias voltage of 50 V, which was 25 times higher than the control without springs. The energy harvesters provided a constant power output over three hours of cyclic loading (21,600 cycles), indicating their structural stability and the durability of the macroporous springs.

Original language	English
Article number	109460
Number of pages	9
Journal	Nano Energy
Volume	124
Early online date	6 Mar 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nanoen.2024.109460
Publication status	Published - 1 Jun 2024

Data Availability Statement

Data will be made available on request.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Nesrine Battoul Debabèche (UniVie) for her help and ingenuity to take videos of energy harvesters while loading in compression.

Funding

The authors acknowledge the EU FP7 funding through MATFLEXEND (grant number 604093) and Erasmus supporting VO for her research stay at University of Vienna.

Funders	Funder number
European Union	FP7

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Keywords

Elastomers
Emulsion templating
Macroporous polymers
Spring element
Variable capacity energy harvester

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Materials Science
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

Access to Document

10.1016/j.nanoen.2024.109460Licence: CC BY

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211285524002088Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Variable Capacity Polymer based Energy Harvesters with Integrated Macroporous Elastomer Springs",

abstract = "We introduce a manufacturing concept of variable capacity energy harvesters consisting of macroporous springs integrated within a conducting silicone rubber and dielectric. Printing and polymerising emulsion templates resulted in macroporous spring elements, which were coated with conducting silicone rubber to maintain the active contact surface. By increasing size and number of these springs, the capacitance change of the energy harvesters during compression and recovery increased from 0.4 nF/cm2 to 0.8 nF/cm2. During cyclic loading with 30 N at 2 Hz, the energy harvesters with macroporous springs delivered a power density of 0.58 µW/cm2 at a bias voltage of 50 V, which was 25 times higher than the control without springs. The energy harvesters provided a constant power output over three hours of cyclic loading (21,600 cycles), indicating their structural stability and the durability of the macroporous springs.",

keywords = "Elastomers, Emulsion templating, Macroporous polymers, Spring element, Variable capacity energy harvester",

author = "Qixiang Jiang and Veronika Ot{\'a}halov{\'a} and Victor Burre and Hannah Leese and Shaffer, \{Milo S.P.\} and Robert Hahn and Angelika Menner and Alexander Bismarck",

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doi = "10.1016/j.nanoen.2024.109460",

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T1 - Variable Capacity Polymer based Energy Harvesters with Integrated Macroporous Elastomer Springs

AU - Jiang, Qixiang

AU - Otáhalová , Veronika

AU - Burre, Victor

AU - Leese, Hannah

AU - Shaffer, Milo S.P.

AU - Hahn, Robert

AU - Menner, Angelika

AU - Bismarck, Alexander

PY - 2024/6/1

Y1 - 2024/6/1

N2 - We introduce a manufacturing concept of variable capacity energy harvesters consisting of macroporous springs integrated within a conducting silicone rubber and dielectric. Printing and polymerising emulsion templates resulted in macroporous spring elements, which were coated with conducting silicone rubber to maintain the active contact surface. By increasing size and number of these springs, the capacitance change of the energy harvesters during compression and recovery increased from 0.4 nF/cm2 to 0.8 nF/cm2. During cyclic loading with 30 N at 2 Hz, the energy harvesters with macroporous springs delivered a power density of 0.58 µW/cm2 at a bias voltage of 50 V, which was 25 times higher than the control without springs. The energy harvesters provided a constant power output over three hours of cyclic loading (21,600 cycles), indicating their structural stability and the durability of the macroporous springs.

AB - We introduce a manufacturing concept of variable capacity energy harvesters consisting of macroporous springs integrated within a conducting silicone rubber and dielectric. Printing and polymerising emulsion templates resulted in macroporous spring elements, which were coated with conducting silicone rubber to maintain the active contact surface. By increasing size and number of these springs, the capacitance change of the energy harvesters during compression and recovery increased from 0.4 nF/cm2 to 0.8 nF/cm2. During cyclic loading with 30 N at 2 Hz, the energy harvesters with macroporous springs delivered a power density of 0.58 µW/cm2 at a bias voltage of 50 V, which was 25 times higher than the control without springs. The energy harvesters provided a constant power output over three hours of cyclic loading (21,600 cycles), indicating their structural stability and the durability of the macroporous springs.

KW - Elastomers

KW - Emulsion templating

KW - Macroporous polymers

KW - Spring element

KW - Variable capacity energy harvester

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85187791483

U2 - 10.1016/j.nanoen.2024.109460

DO - 10.1016/j.nanoen.2024.109460

M3 - Article

SN - 2211-2855

VL - 124

JO - Nano Energy

JF - Nano Energy

M1 - 109460

ER -

Variable Capacity Polymer based Energy Harvesters with Integrated Macroporous Elastomer Springs

Abstract

Data Availability Statement

Acknowledgements

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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Cite this