Energy harvesting

Energy, over the years has become a popular topic of conversation, across dinner tables and floors of national governments, the debates are only likely to gain in voracity as stretching carbon reduction targets, efforts to stabilize energy supplies, and attempts to quell the uncertainty in our energy future mount.

Little is known about how and even if we will succeed in transitioning from fossil fuel reliance to a more energy efficient and environmental neutral supply chain, however one thing which is guaranteed is that the road will be a bumpy one for all key stakeholders, such as policy makers, academics, engineers, and of course the consumer.

The research community currently are particularly active in this area and a quick count on papers published by Elsevier which contain either the word solar or wind energy published in the last year and a half is in excess of 10,000 papers.

Energy harvesting (EH) or energy scavenging from moving objects and machines is emerging as quite an important method for powering portable electronics and sensor systems. New methods are also resulting in being able to harvest energy from rotating machines, such as bicycles, automobiles, and trains, in both contact and non-contact modes of operation [Han et al, Nano Energy, 6 (2014) 59-65, DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2014.03.009 ]. Energy captured in this way would usually be lost as heat, light, sound, vibration or movement. The captured energy improves efficiency and enables new technology devices.

Alongside some of the larger scale ambient energy resources (eg solar, wind and tide), energy harvesting may emerge as a useful addition to our clean energy needs.

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