New Device Generates Electricity From Thin Air (smithsonianmag.com) 54
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Smithsonian: With a new technique, scientists have essentially figured out how to create power from thin air. Their tiny device generates electricity from the air's humidity, and it can be made from nearly any substance, scientists reported this month in the journal Advanced Materials. The invention involves two electrodes and a thin layer of material, which must be covered with tiny holes less than 100 nanometers in diameter -- thinner than one-thousandth the width of a human hair, according to a statement from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where the researchers work.
As water molecules pass through the device, from an upper chamber to a lower chamber, they knock against the tiny holes' edges, creating an electric charge imbalance between the layered chambers. In effect, it makes the device run like a battery. The whole process resembles the way clouds make electricity, which we see in the form of lightning bolts, according to Inverse's Molly Glick. [...] Currently, the fingernail-sized device can only create continuous electricity equivalent to a fraction of a volt, writes Vice's Becky Ferreira. But the researchers hope it can someday become a practical, sustainable source of power.
Scientists have previously tried harnessing humidity to generate electricity, but their attempts have often only worked for a short amount of time or relied on expensive materials, per Vice. In 2020, Yao and other researchers found a way to continuously collect electricity from humidity using a material grown from bacteria. But now, the new paper shows that such a specific material isn't necessary -- just about any material works, such as wood or silicon, as long as it can be punctured with the ultra-small holes. This finding makes the device much more practical; it "turns an initially narrow window to a wide-open door for broad potential," Yao tells Vice.
As water molecules pass through the device, from an upper chamber to a lower chamber, they knock against the tiny holes' edges, creating an electric charge imbalance between the layered chambers. In effect, it makes the device run like a battery. The whole process resembles the way clouds make electricity, which we see in the form of lightning bolts, according to Inverse's Molly Glick. [...] Currently, the fingernail-sized device can only create continuous electricity equivalent to a fraction of a volt, writes Vice's Becky Ferreira. But the researchers hope it can someday become a practical, sustainable source of power.
Scientists have previously tried harnessing humidity to generate electricity, but their attempts have often only worked for a short amount of time or relied on expensive materials, per Vice. In 2020, Yao and other researchers found a way to continuously collect electricity from humidity using a material grown from bacteria. But now, the new paper shows that such a specific material isn't necessary -- just about any material works, such as wood or silicon, as long as it can be punctured with the ultra-small holes. This finding makes the device much more practical; it "turns an initially narrow window to a wide-open door for broad potential," Yao tells Vice.
Thin Air? (Score:5, Funny)
Since this is coming from water vapor, doesn't this extract electricity from thick air?
Re: Thin Air? (Score:1)
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But that fat comes from animals that eat grass that grows by photosynthesis using photons generated by the sun gradually turning hydrogen into helium.
So really, when you pedal the bicycle, the generator is now fusion powered.
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Since this is coming from water vapor, doesn't this extract electricity from thick air?
If you thought Mother Nature was a bitch before, fat-shame her for her thicc air and see what happens.
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I live in the arid Mojave desert, you insensitive clods!
Now, if only we could extract electricity (Score:5, Funny)
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Your request for a free security review and penetration test of your site has been granted, the test results will be posted here for your (and everyone else's) convenience.
airflow (Score:4, Interesting)
I have to wonder - how sustainable is the power generation? It sounds like the material would be fairly fragile, and the holes are small. Sediment, air pollution, and dust, would likely interfere with it's effectiveness over a fairly short period of time, I imagine.
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I have to wonder - how sustainable is the power generation? It sounds like the material would be fairly fragile, and the holes are small. Sediment, air pollution, and dust, would likely interfere with it's effectiveness over a fairly short period of time, I imagine.
I believe we call them...air filters?
Given the automated cat shit box in the corner is now HEPA-certified, one could argue we've improved on them slightly over the last century.
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I'm not sure that addresses anything.
HEPA only filters down to 0.3 micron, the holes in this lattice are 0.1 micron or smaller. They can still be easily blocked.
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What we need is (Score:3)
A device to generate electricity from /. dupes...
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I hear that the energy density of dupe comments outweighs the energy density of dupe stories 10 fold.
Do Air Born Particulates Affect Performance? (Score:2)
Guess it needs a filter of some sorts.
Re: Do Air Born Particulates Affect Performance? (Score:2)
A filter? More like how many filters and how often do they need changing, and how much will owning a cat or dog shorten the filters lifespan.
Just as promising as thin film solar panels (Score:3)
still waiting for that technology to be abudantly available.
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still waiting for that technology to be abudantly available.
Less so. To generate electricity from moisture in the air, the device has to be dry. It will absorb a certain amount of water, make some electricity, and then it will be saturated. At which point you'll have to dry it out again before you can get more electricity out of it. Drying it out will take more energy than you got out of it. There's no such thing as a free lunch. The publishers at Smithsonian know this.
Awww Come On! (Score:4, Funny)
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It's all relative. My parents are often years behind in following world events.
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Yes, old things are bad. We should stop using wind and the burning of plant matter for energy.
That's sarcasm in case anyone is missing it. Wind power is a good idea. Burning plant matter for energy isn't inherently bad, just don't burn your seed corn. That is "seed corn" as in metaphorically and literally.
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because it took that long to generate enough elecricity to post, of course!
old device dups (Score:3)
Old device called slashdot sill generates sups after all these years. Keep it precious slashdot.
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> sill generates sups
And no Edit button?
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After all these years, I can't type to save my life.
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Big Oil (Score:1)
Will suppress this, just like any other technology that threatens to reduce its profits.
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The 1970's called and want their conspiracy theory back.
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Here's some recent news on nuclear power that should satisfy some curiosity on new developments.
https://oilprice.com/Alternati... [oilprice.com]
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news... [msn.com]
https://news.yahoo.com/saudis-... [yahoo.com]
https://www.ksby.com/news/loca... [ksby.com]
https://sports.yahoo.com/olive... [yahoo.com]
https://www.duluthnewstribune.... [duluthnewstribune.com]
Yes, we know (Score:2)
You told us already a few times.
Thermodynamics (Score:2)
Re: Thermodynamics (Score:2)
Meaningful current (Score:2)
Or static electricity?
In the 70's, I remember reading my father's Popular Mechanics magazine on how to make a Whimshirst Generator...produced lots of static electricity and sparks...but, I wouldn't try to run my car or laptop from it.
Battery Flags (Score:2)
Does this mean we could make large flags made from this material, with nanometer holes, that send electricity down the flagpole?
So it was somewhere else I read this a week ago? (Score:1)
how about ... (Score:2)
a keyboard generating electricity from keystrokes ... well, out of ideas for now
or running shoes,
or car tires extracting electricity from pressure changes when rolling
or all the gyms' equipment people use
or pavements from walking pressure changes
or
BTW - a great idea with this device, the article suggest potential problems when scaling up to a useful size, but happy to read that people keep inventing such stuff.
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The first known patent to extract energy from ocean waves was in 1799
oh damn
are you sure its not an old item producing hot air (Score:2)
How's it work in Saudi Arabia, New Mexico, etc (Score:1)
This BS again (Score:2)
Making nano-watts from kilo-bucks.