Tech Briefs Magazine - December 2021 - 12
5
Who
Fibers sewn into fabrics can turn heat from the Sun or other sources into energy that could power textile electronics.
What
Invisibly small carbon nanotubes
aligned as fibers were used to create
flexible cotton fabric that
turned heat into enough energy
to power an LED. With further
development, the materials could
become building blocks for fiber
and textile electronics and energy
harvesting. The same nanotube
fibers could also be used as heat
sinks to actively cool sensitive electronics
with high efficiency. If one
side of a thermoelectric material
is hotter than the other, it produces
energy. The heat can come
from the Sun or other devices like
hotplates. Conversely, adding en -
er gy can prompt the material to
cool the hotter side. Until now, no
macroscopic assemblies of nanomaterials
have displayed the pow -
er factor of 14 milliwatts per me -
Generating Fibers
Ws of PowerCarbon
nanotubes woven into thread-like fibers and sewn into fabrics become a thermoelectric
generator that can turn heat from the Sun or other sources into energy. (Credit: Jeff
Fitlow/Rice University)
ter kelvin squared that the material supplies. While the fibers were cut into centimeter lengths, devices can make use
of the nanotube fibers spooled in continuous lengths.
Where
Rice University, Houston, Texas
Why
Carbon nanotube fibers have been on a steady growth path and are proving advantageous in this and other applications.
The increasing interest in mobile and wearable technology demands the enhancement of functionality of
clothing. Whether the new research leads to a solar panel that can be thrown in the washing machine remains to be
seen, but there is varied potential.
When
The team's small-scale experiments were with a flexible cotton fabric that turned heat into enough energy to power
an LED. With further development, they say such materials could become building blocks for fiber and textile
electronics and energy harvesting.
12
Contact: Mike Williams, Rice University, mikewilliams@rice.edu; 713-348-6728.
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Tech Briefs, December 2021
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Tech Briefs Magazine - December 2021
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Tech Briefs Magazine - December 2021
Tech Briefs Magazine - December 2021 - Intro
Tech Briefs Magazine - December 2021 - Sponsor
Tech Briefs Magazine - December 2021 - Cov1
Tech Briefs Magazine - December 2021 - Cov2
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Tech Briefs Magazine - December 2021 - Cov3
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