Vibration energy harvesters convert vibrations from moving objects to electrical energy. They are used to convert the vibrations from car engines rattling, earthquakes shaking and purses jiggling to electrical energy. This converted electrical energy is then used to charge batteries.
Because most vibrations don't have a significant amount of energy, the amount of electrical energy produced is much lower than other types of alternative energy devices, like solar and wind. However, because vibration energy harvesters are extremely sensitive, they can convert even the smallest vibrations to electrical current. For example, an energy harvester placed within your PC mouse, will convert the vibrations on the mouse every time you move it.
Most vibration energy harvesters have a power output that ranges from microwatts to milliwatts and a voltage output that ranges from microvolts to volts. The harvesters are most often used to power wireless transmitters that send data from sensors in environmental applications. Some wireless PC mouse devices also use energy harvesters to power their internal wireless transmitter.
Ocean thermal energy conversion may put fear in all of the energy technologies. And that's because its potential power makes oil look like a weakling. Researchers report that there is enough ocean thermal energy to not only supply the Earth's present energy needs, but several times that. However, the drawback is that initial investment costs are very high. To create energy, the technology uses the differences in temperature at the ocean's surface and the ocean's depth. The greater the difference the more energy that can be produced.
Biomimicry as a new science has received considerable attention and funding. Its underlying principle is based on mimicking the methods animals, insects, trees and plants use to produce materials and capture energy. For the development of energy, the natural photovoltaics, thermovoltaics and piezovoltaic processes that trees and plants use to capture energy are mimicked. And they are mimicked as closely as possible through the use of latest nanotechnologies.
Nanotechnology is the systematic control of molecular and atomic motion. It is used to design machines at the molecular and atomic levels. It differs from chemistry, which is used to create new substances or materials from chemical reactions. However, nanotechnology-based machines can be used to control chemical reactions more precisely than the techniques of classical chemistry.