Flocked surface triboelectric charge generator and method of manufacturing
AssigneeUniversity of Massachusetts
InventorsYong K. Kim, Armand F. Lewis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flocked surface tribo-electric charge generator includes first and second contact surface electrodes; first and second flock fiber support layers a first flock fiber material flocked onto the first flock fiber support layer; a tribo-electrically second different flock fiber material flocked onto the second flock fiber support layer. A tribo-electric charge is generated by intermittent intermeshing/separation of the tribo-electrically diverse flock fiber materials of the first and second flock fiber support layers.
Claims19
A flocked surface tribo-electric generator comprising:
- first and second electrodes;
- first and second flock fiber support layers conductively connected to respective ones of the first and second electrodes;
- a first flock fiber material flocked onto the first flock fiber support layer;
- a second different flock fiber material flocked onto the second flock fiber support layer;
- and
- wherein the first flock fiber support layer and the second flock fiber support layer are configured to generate electrical energy by generating frictional contact between the first flock fiber material and the second different flock fiber material by contacting the first flock fiber material to the second different flock fiber material and separating the first flock fiber material from the second different flock fiber material;
- and
- wherein at least one of the first flock fiber material and the second different flock fiber material comprises a plurality of fibers having a fiber denier in a range of about 0.5 to about 200 denier, a fiber length of about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm, and a fiber flock areal density of about 5 fibers/mm2 to about 300 fibers/mm2.
A method of generating energy from a flocked surface tribo-electric generator comprising:
- providing a flocked surface tribo-electric generator comprising:
- first and second electrodes;
- first and second flock fiber support layers conductively connected to respective ones of the first and second electrodes;
- a first flock fiber material flocked onto the first flock fiber support layer;
- a second different flock fiber material flocked onto the second flock fiber support layer;
- and
- generating a tribo-electric charge by:
- intermeshing the first flock fiber material and the second different flock fiber material;
- separating the first flock fiber material from the second different flock fiber material;
- wherein, the intermeshing and separating are substantially in a vertical plane perpendicular to flocked surfaces of the first and second flock fiber support layers;
- and
- wherein at least one of the first flock fiber material and the second different flock fiber material comprises a plurality of fibers having a fiber denier in a range of about 0.5 to about 200 denier, a fiber length of about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm, and a fiber flock areal density of about 5 fibers/mm2 to about 300 fibers/mm2.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.