piezoelectricity Archives – The Green Optimistic

Single Molecule Piezoelectricity Opens New Opportunities for Nanodevices

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 07:12:06 +0000

Piezoelectricity – the principle behind a quartz watch, voice recognition software, microphones, etc. – is the conversion of mechanical energy into electricity and vice versa. Discovered by Jacques and Pierre Curie in 1880, the piezoelectric effect was first observed when they applied pressure to a quartz crystal, which generated electric charges. This effect was called […]

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Chinese Scientists Find Alternative to Lead-Containing Mainstream Piezoelectric Material

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:57:43 +0000

You probably learned in high school what the piezoelectric effect is: a phenomenon where an electromotive force is generated by applying mechanical stress to a material. So far, piezoelectric devices used a material called lead zirconate titanate (PZT). However, PZT is expensive and contains lead, which is bad for the environment. Progress does happen, though, […]

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New Discovery Makes Piezoelectric Materials 25% More Efficient

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:31:40 +0000

A new project at National Physical Laboratory in the UK aims to develop a much more efficient piezoelectric energy harvester. They found a serious glitch in current piezo devices that keeps them from giving their best at converting mechanical stress to electricity. Despite the fact that the powers outputted by piezoelectric devices are small (per […]

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Spintronics and Straintronics – Enabled Circuit Promises Huge Power Savings

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:08:04 +0000

A team of researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University has invented the most power-friendly integrated circuit so far, by combining spintronics and straintronics. The circuit needs so little energy to run that it doesn’t even need a battery – it works by tapping the ambient energy. Spintronics harnesses the natural spin (up/down) of electrons. This up/down […]

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Piezo-Photovoltaic Device Creates Electricity From Wind/Rain/Sun

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:07:42 +0000

A new device that harvests energy from raindrops, winds or sunlight has been invented at the Institute for Materials Research and Innovation at the University of Bolton, UK. Elias Siores led a team who created a special polymer with piezoelectric and photosensitive properties.

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Yell at Your Phone to Charge It: New Piezoelectric Device Could Help You

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 10 May 2011 14:41:20 +0000

Imagine that one day you could charge your mobile phone or other low-consumption devices just by placing them in noisy areas or by yelling at them. South-Korean scientists from the Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, are now studying a type of zinc oxide-based device that could do just that.

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Highways in California Could Actually Produce Energy

Mike Sandru — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 11:05:50 +0000

When cars or trains move on the surface of the earth, they produce vibrations. These vibrations can be captured and directed through underground piezoelectric materials to a smart grid or roadside batteries.

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Innowattech Applying Piezoelectric Technology To Railroad Tracks For Electricity Generation

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 18:17:49 +0000

After modifying Israeli highways to produce energy from piezoelectric pads installed beneath the asphalt, Innowattech, an Israel-based company, now applied their technology on railroads.

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Bismuth-Ferrite Piezoelectric Material Opens New Roads for Energy Generation

Mike Sandru — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:32:58 +0000

Researchers at the UC Berkeley and the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley Lab have developed a new lead-free material that generates electricity when exposed to stress. One day, this phenomenon called piezoelectricity could become as common as backyard grills.

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