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Converting Biomechanical Energy into Electricity by a Muscle-Movement-Driven Nanogenerator
by Rusen Yang, Yong Qin, Cheng Li, Guangzhu, and Zhong Lin Wang, Nano Letters , 9 (2009) 3, 1201-1205. (Online supplementary materials)
 Abstract: A living species has numerous sources of mechanical energy, such as muscle stretching, arm/leg swings, walking/running, heart beats, and
blood flow. We demonstrate a piezoelectric nanowire based nanogenerator that converts biomechanical energy, such as the movement of a
human finger and the body motion of a live hamster (Campbell’s dwarf), into electricity. A single wire generator (SWG) consists of a flexible
substrate with a ZnO nanowire affixed laterally at its two ends on the substrate surface. Muscle stretching results in the back and forth
stretching of the substrate and the nanowire. The piezoelectric potential created inside the wire leads to the flow of electrons in the external
circuit. The output voltage has been increased by integrating multiple SWGs. A series connection of four SWGs produced an output voltage
of up to ~0.1-0.15 V. The success of energy harvesting from a tapping finger and a running hamster reveals the potential of using the
nanogenerators for scavenging low-frequency energy from regular and irregular biomotion.
 Owing to the small power consumption of nanodevices,
typically in the nano- to microwatt range, harvesting
energy from the environment for building self-powered
nanosystems is attracting a lot of interest. In addition
to the most extensively studied solar and thermal energy,
vibration energy and mechanical energy are probably the
most popular sources of energy in our living environment
that is available almost any where and any time. Piezoelectric
beams/cantilevers have been demonstrated as an effective
approach for harvesting mechanical and vibration energy.
A general approach for harvesting vibration energy is
through a spring and mass system. These available technologies
rely on mechanical resonance at a specific frequency
or frequency range as defined by the system, and they are
applicable under well-defined and stable environment and
conditions. More..
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Science Watch, 2008, 12
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