researchers from CU boulder have created a new portable device that can convert body heat into a biological battery. The device has a thermoelectric system that utilizes the differences in temperatures to produce electricity, and not only harvests energy from the human body, but is also able to repair itself if damaged.
‘in the future we want to be able to power your portable electronics without including a battery,’ says jianliang xiao, senior author of the new article and an associate professor in paul m. rady department of mechanical engineering at CU boulder.
the thermo-portable device, in this case a ring, can generate about 1 volt of energy for every square centimeter of skin space. this means that it produces less energy than existing batteries, yet is enough to power electronics such as watches or fitness trackers. the fact that it can heal itself and that it can be completely recyclable makes it a cleaner alternative to traditional electronics.
“when you use a battery, you empty the battery and eventually have to replace it,” xiao said. “the nicest thing about our thermoelectric device is that you can carry it, and it gives you constant power.”
the portable is made of a stretchable material called polyimine with a series of thin thermoelectric chips attached to it that are also attached to liquid metal wires. ‘our design makes the whole system stretchable without the thermoelectric material being very fragile, which can be very fragile,’ xiao continues. ‘the thermocouples are in close contact with the human body and they can use the heat that is normally distributed in the environment.’
project information:
name: portable thermoelectric generator
researchers: CU rock block
read paper: here
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12 February 2021