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。这项工作的目标是展示一种基于可变电容器的更有效的动能转换为电能的方法。该方法是主动控制电容器的电介质，并在每个转换周期期间从空气切换到液体。与传统的静电转换器相比，所提出的发电机将在每个周期转换多达四个数量级的能量。 智力上的优点。电介质的切换是一种新颖且有效的方式来增加静电转换器的最小电容与最大电容之间的差异以及相应的功率输出。电容器的介电常数的控制通过机电力效应实现，该机电力效应导致介电液体在受到电势差的两个平行电绝缘电极之间形成的间隙中上升。此外，这项工作同时实现了微型发电机的控制回路电路，使进一步增益的能量转换efficiency.Broader影响：拟议的工作可能会彻底改变该地区的无线传感器网络引入基于芯片的转换器集成与功率采集控制和调理电路。这项研究的结果将纳入一系列的外联活动，包括？设计你未来的一天？为高中女生举办的会议和在Questar III New Vision计划中向学生进行的演讲。

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.