Indoor power harvesting using hybrid perovskite materials

世界越来越多地以各种方式使用低功耗电子设备，包括作为物联网（IoT）的传感器，数十亿个物体连接到互联网以形成智能网络，以及智能手表等可穿戴电子设备。传感器是这些突破性技术成功的基本组成部分。到2022年，物联网中连接的传感器和设备总数预计将超过500亿个。这些设备将如何供电？将每个设备连接到电网过于复杂和昂贵，因为它需要大量的安装和布线，并且进一步增加了电力消耗。使用电池会限制使用寿命，在更换电池期间导致服务中断，并会造成严重的环境问题。我提出的研究将通过开发廉价和环保的新技术来为这些小型电子元件提供动力，从而为这一问题带来切实可行的解决方案。我的研究愿景是为这些无线传感器和互联网连接的智能设备供电，使用具有成本效益和自给自足的室内能源采集器。为此，我将适当地“调整”一种称为“混合钙钛矿”的电子材料的性质，这种材料结合了有机和无机材料的有利属性。我设想利用这种“多重”能量收集的两种物理特性是：(a)光伏（将光转换为电）和(b)压电（将机械振动转换为电）。在混合钙钛矿中，这两种性质共存，为多重能量收集开辟了新的机会。在建筑内部，大量未开发的能量以照明、机械振动和运动的形式存在。通常这些都是建筑内部浪费的能源。通过结合混合钙钛矿中共存的光伏和压电活性的优势，我将开发不同类型的室内能量收集器，能够利用来自多种环境能源的能量。这种多功能能量收集将导致输出功率增加，并在其中一种能源不可用或间歇性的情况下提供应急情况，例如；在夜间，室内照明可能供应有限，但建筑物内部的振动仍然可能普遍存在（例如：空调）。因此，通过为物联网中的传感器提供连续的自主供电，我提议的项目将使这两种技术能够充分发挥其潜力。这反过来又将通过更有效的监测和通信彻底改变我们的生活方式，这将影响医疗保健和社区福祉，以及智能和节能建筑的发展和制造过程的数字化。拟议中的研究不仅将通过增加“室内”光收集的新维度来加强英国现有的光伏全球地位，而且还将引领英国的压电能量收集研究。随着微处理器技术和本地电能存储系统（如超级电容器）的功率效率不断提高，提出的项目非常及时。因此，室内能量收集的类似进步将导致技术的融合，最终将导致能量收集系统和产品的成功实施。

The world is increasingly using low-power, electronic devices in myriad ways, including as sensors for the Internet of Things (IoT), where billions of objects are connected to the internet to make a smart network, and in wearable electronic devices such as smart watches. Sensors are the fundamental components in the success of these ground-breaking technologies. By 2022, the total number of connected sensors and devices in IoT is expected to exceed 50 billion. How will all these devices be powered? Connecting every device to the electrical grid is too complex and expensive as it requires extensive installation and wiring, and furthermore increases electricity consumption. The use of batteries will limit the life span, bring service interruptions during battery replacement and will pose severe environmental issues at their disposal. My proposed research will bring a practical solution to this by developing inexpensive and environmentally friendly, new technologies to power these small electronic components. My research vision is to power these wireless sensors and internet connected smart devices, using cost-effective and self-sustaining indoor energy harvesters. For this I will suitably 'tune' the properties of a family of electronic materials called 'hybrid perovskites' which combine favourable attributes of both organic and inorganic materials. The two physical properties that I envisage to exploit for this 'multiple' energy harvesting are (a) photovoltaic - converting light to electricity and (b) piezoelectricity - converting mechanical vibrations to electricity. In hybrid perovskites these two properties co-exist, opening new opportunities for multiple energy harvesting. Inside buildings a vast reservoir of untapped energy is available in the form of lighting, mechanical vibrations and movement. Usually these are wasted energy inside the buildings. By combining the strengths of co-existing photovoltaic and piezoelectric activity in hybrid perovskites, I will develop different types of indoor energy harvesters, capable of harnessing energy from multiple sources of ambient energy. This multifunctional energy harvesting will lead to increased output electrical power and provide contingency in the scenario where one of the energy sources is not available or intermittent for e.g.; at night indoor lighting may be limited in supply but still vibrations inside the buildings can be pervasive (e.g.: air conditioning). Thus, by providing a continuous autonomous powering to sensors in IoT, my proposed project would enable these two technologies to achieve their potential to the fullest. This in turn will revolutionise our ways of life through more effective monitoring and communication, which will impact health care and the well-being of communities as well as the development of smart and energy efficient buildings and the digitization of manufacturing process. The proposed research will not only strengthen UK's existing photovoltaic global prominence by adding a new dimension of 'indoor' light harvesting but will also spearhead the UK's piezoelectric energy harvesting research. The proposed project is extremely timely as the power efficiency of microprocessor technology and local electrical energy storage systems (e.g.: supercapacitors) are continuously improving. Hence a similar advance in indoor energy harvesting will lead to a convergence of technologies which will ultimately lead to successful implementation of energy harvesting systems and products.