Elastomer Films to Generate Electricity with No Moving Parts
Field testing of DEGREEN generators in a small river – the silicone membranes are mechanically excited by negative pressure within the perfused Venturi tubes under the float.
© Photo Fraunhofer ISC
“At this point, a high volume of electrical energy has been generated and charges a temporary storage device on an integrated circuit. It is from here that we siphon the energy. This deformation and relaxation cycle is repeated once a second,” explains Dr. Bernhard Brunner, project manager and scientist at Fraunhofer ISC. “If we apply a potential of 4000 volts, for each deformation we can generate 100 milliwatts of electrical power per film.”
But how is this cyclic deformation of the films achieved? Brunner and his team have implemented a smart mechanical excitation concept. Water flows through a constricted tube building up negative air pressure – a concept also known as the Venturi effect – which causes the elastomer film to deform (see the cross section of the Venturi tube). An air valve is then opened to equalize the negative air pressure and the elastomer film returns to a non-deformed state. What makes the design so ingenious is that the air vent is self-controlled: it opens and closes on its own without requiring electronics or power.
Changing the diameter of the film enables the researchers to adjust the pressure. Consequently, the generator can be adapted to the flow rate. Comprising films, tube, vent, pump, air duct, electronics and rectifier, the overall system has a modular structure. The tubes, which also have a flexible diameter, are adjusted according to the depth and width of the water and are set up either on top, behind or next to one another. If a river is wide but shallow, it is recommended to mount the tubes next to each other.
The elastomer generators are designed to operate silently in shallow and small waters without a check dam. They are suitable, for example, for use as a decentralized power supply for campsites or remote settlements located in the immediate vicinity of water.
In the lab, Brunner and his team are currently developing two types of generator: one that floats and one that is fixed to the riverbank. They are currently working on miniaturizing the generator’s size. By the end of the project, they expect to come out with a weather- and flood-proof system that is about the size of a switch control box. Alongside the tests in the laboratory, the Fraunhofer scientists are working in close collaboration with local authorities, the water board and environmental authorities to conduct field tests with prototypes in the Wern and Tauber rivers, which provide realistic experimental conditions. Their goal is to generate 100 watts of electrical power per generator on a continuous basis.
Contacts and sources:
Marie-Luise Righi
Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research
Source: http://www.ineffableisland.com/2017/10/elastomer-films-to-generate-electricity.html
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