The same electricity that hits your fingers when you touch the phone, or makes hair stick to a balloon, could one day power electronics.
Static electricity is a relatively simple phenomenon that occurs when there is an imbalance of electrical charges inside or on the surface of a material. Obviously, everyone knows this slightly painful click on their fingertips. It occurs due to the fact that the charge accumulates until then, until it gets the opportunity to exit, forming an electric current. But what if people learned to use that charge instead of losing it?
It is this opportunity that scientists from the University of Buffalo and Kansas State University decided to explore.
“Almost everyone has had to receive a slight electric shock from a doorknob or see children's hair sticking to a balloon. To harness this energy in our electronics, we need to better understand the driving forces behind it,”said James Chen, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University of Buffalo.
The study found that static electricity is caused by tiny structural changes.
Now Chen and his partner Zayd Leseman, an assistant professor of mechanics and nuclear engineering at Kansas State University, are working to study the triboelectric effect. This term describes the phenomenon where a material becomes electrically charged after contact with another material through friction.
“Friction between fingers and smartphone screen. Friction between wrist and watch. Even friction between shoes and the ground. All these are great potential energy sources that can be used,”the scientist explained.
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Although the triboelectric effect was described in ancient times, in order to understand it, it took the emergence of nanotechnology, that is, the study of extremely small particles of materials.
“The results of our research provide an answer to this ancient riddle; they can combine existing theories. The numerical results are consistent with published experimental observations,”Chen commented.
Scientists use both computer models and physical experiments to develop so-called "triboelectric nanogenerators" (TENGs), which are capable of storing static electricity.
The study received support from the National Science Foundation in the amount of $ 400,000. According to the researchers, the results of their work will serve grandiose goals.
Thus, the results obtained can help in the development of more sustainable and durable energy sources. Ultimately, the study could improve economic security and benefit society by reducing the need for traditional energy sources, scientists say.
Given that the need for energy is constantly growing as the world becomes more and more technologically advanced, static electricity can be a very valuable and practical additional source.
Natalia Golovakha