New research has found out that electronic devices like Smartphones can be charged with the ‘humidity’ in the atmosphere.
New research has found out that electronic devices like Smartphones can be charged with the ‘humidity’ in the atmosphere.
According to MIT scientists, water droplets clash with a highly repelling surface and produce electric charge. This reaction can be used to create electricity which can then be harnessed to charge electronic devices. The electricity produced during this process is in small amount that, if utilized properly, would be enough to charge an electronic device.
The research was done by Nenad Miljkovic, Evelyn Wang and colleagues from MIT, published in the ‘journal Applied Physics Letters’, can enable the creation of devices that can use the humidity in the air to charge Smartphones and many other electronic devices. Clean water could also be obtained through this system.
The device could be created with only some flat metal plates placed over one another. The research team used copper plates in their initial experiments but the device could be created with any metal with conductive properties like aluminuim.
The initial tests produced only very small amount of electricity i.e. 15 picowatts per square centimeter of metal plate but researchers are sure that the process could be evolved into producing at least 1 microwatt per square centimeter.
This output would be equal to the amount electricity other systems produce from vibrations, waste heat and other forms of energy which is then used to power electronic devices in some places.
While this system can prove to be an easy and cost effective method for powering electronic devices; however, it will need a humid atmosphere to work.