Mechanical energy harvesters with tensile efficiency of 17.4% and torsional efficiency of 22.4% based on homochirally plied carbon nanotube yarns

Mengmeng Zhang, Wenting Cai, Zhong Wang, Shaoli Fang, Runyu Zhang, Hongbing Lu, Ali E. Aliev, Anvar A. Zakhidov, Chi Huynh, Enlai Gao, Jiyoung Oh, Ji Hwan Moon, Jong Woo Park, Seon Jeong Kim and Ray H. Baughman ()
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Mengmeng Zhang: University of Texas at Dallas
Wenting Cai: University of Texas at Dallas
Zhong Wang: University of Texas at Dallas
Shaoli Fang: University of Texas at Dallas
Runyu Zhang: University of Texas at Dallas
Hongbing Lu: University of Texas at Dallas
Ali E. Aliev: University of Texas at Dallas
Anvar A. Zakhidov: University of Texas at Dallas
Chi Huynh: Lintec of America
Enlai Gao: Wuhan University
Jiyoung Oh: University of Texas at Dallas
Ji Hwan Moon: Hanyang University
Jong Woo Park: Hanyang University
Seon Jeong Kim: Hanyang University
Ray H. Baughman: University of Texas at Dallas

Nature Energy, 2023, vol. 8, issue 2, 203-213

Abstract: Abstract Improved methods are needed for harvesting mechanical energy. Coiled carbon nanotube yarns, termed twistrons, use stretch-induced changes in electrochemical capacitance to convert mechanical energy to electricity. Elongation of the yarn produces such large lateral Poisson’s ratios that the yarns are highly stretch densified, which contributes to harvesting. Here we report plied twistrons, instead of coiled, which increase the energy conversion efficiency of the yarns from 7.6% to 17.4% for stretch and to 22.4% for twist. This is attributed to additional harvesting mechanisms by yarn stretch and lateral deformations. For harvesting between 2 and 120 Hz, our plied twistron has higher gravimetric peak power and average power than has been reported for non-twistron, material-based mechanical energy harvesters. We sew the twistrons into textiles for sensing and harvesting human motion, deploy them in salt water for harvesting ocean wave energy and use them to charge supercapacitors.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41560-022-01191-7

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