Micro-scale power generators employing capacitive converters with switchable dielectric medium

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)资助的。这项工作的目的是展示一种基于可变电容器的更有效的动能到电能转换方法。方法是主动控制电容器的介质，在每个转换周期内从空气切换到液体。与传统的静电转换器相比，拟议中的发电机每个周期将转换高达四个数量级的能量。智力上的优点。介质切换是一种新颖而有效的方法，可以分别提高静电转换器的最大电容和最小电容之间的差值和输出功率。对电容器介电常数的控制是通过电机力效应实现的，电机力效应使介质液体在两个平行的电绝缘电极之间形成的间隙中上升，受到电势差的影响。此外，这项工作同时实现了微型功率发生器和控制回路电路，从而进一步提高了能量转换效率。广泛的影响：拟议的工作可能会通过引入集成了电力采集控制和调节电路的基于芯片的转换器来彻底改变无线传感器网络领域。这项研究的结果将被纳入一系列外展活动，包括？设计你的未来日？在Questar III新视野计划中，为高中女生举办的课程和向学生发表的演讲。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The objective of this work is to demonstrate a more efficient method for kinetic to electrical energy conversion based on variable capacitors. The approach is to actively control the dielectric medium of the capacitors and switch from air to liquid during each conversion cycle. The proposed power generator will convert up to four orders of magnitude more energy per cycle versus conventional electrostatic converters. Intellectual merit. Switching of the dielectric media is a novel and efficient way to increase the difference between the minimum and maximum capacitance and respectively the power output of electrostatic converters. The control of the dielectric constant of the capacitors is achieved via electromechanical force effect, which causes dielectric liquid to rise in a gap formed between two parallel, electrically insulated electrodes subjected to a potential difference. Moreover, this work simultaneously implements the micro-power generator with the control loop circuitry enabling further gains in energy conversion efficiency.Broader Impact: The proposed work may revolutionize the area of wireless sensor networks by introducing chip-based converters integrated with power harvesting control and conditioning circuitry. The results from this research will be incorporated in a series of outreach activities including ?Design Your Future Day? sessions for high school girls and presentations given to students in the Questar III New Vision program.