Carbohydrate-based triboelectric sensors and devices including for food quality monitoring
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
InventorsYi-Cheng Wang, Zhenhui Jin, Yang Fu
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Abstract
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a triboelectric device comprising a device body including a carbohydrate polymer, and a plasticizer, where the carbohydrate polymer includes pectin and the plasticizer includes glycerol, where the concentration of glycerol is approximately 50% by weight relative to the pectin if the triboelectric device is being used as a sensor for food quality monitoring or is approximately 70% by weight relative to the pectin if the triboelectric device is being used as an energy harvester, where when mechanical energy is applied to the device body electrical energy is generated.
Claims20
A food monitoring device comprising:
- a triboelectric sensor including a film comprising a carbohydrate polymer and a plasticizer, wherein the carbohydrate polymer includes pectin and the plasticizer includes glycerol, wherein a concentration of the glycerol is approximately 50% by weight relative to the pectin, and wherein the triboelectric sensor is configured to monitor food according to an electrical signal that is generated and which varies based on histories of moisture content change, thereby providing real-time monitoring of food quality.
A triboelectric device comprising:
- a device body including a carbohydrate polymer, a plasticizer, and multiple layers of material, wherein the carbohydrate polymer includes pectin and the plasticizer includes glycerol, wherein a concentration of the glycerol is approximately 50% by weight relative to the pectin if the triboelectric device is being used as a sensor or is approximately 70% by weight relative to the pectin if the triboelectric device is being used as an energy harvester, wherein electrical energy is generated when mechanical energy is applied to the device body.
A method comprising:
- determining a concentration for a carbohydrate polymer and a plasticizer to be used in a triboelectric device comprising multiple layers of material, wherein the triboelectric device is to be used as one of a sensor or an energy harvester, wherein the concentration is different depending on usage as the sensor or the energy harvester, and wherein the determining the concentration is based on improving operation as the sensor or improving operations as the energy harvester;
- providing the triboelectric device including the polymer and the plasticizer with an object that is subjected to mechanical energy;
- and
- connecting the triboelectric device to an electrical component, wherein when the mechanical energy is applied to the device body electrical energy is generated and provided to the electrical component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.