CWRU Researchers Tailor Power Source for Wearable Electronics
December 17, 2015 | Case Western Reserve UniversityEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Wearable power sources for wearable electronics are limited by the size of garments. With that in mind, researchers at Case Western Reserve University have developed flexible wire-shaped microsupercapacitors that can be woven into a jacket, shirt or dress.
By their design or by connecting the capacitors in series or parallel, the devices can be tailored to match the charge storage and delivery needs of electronics donned.
While there's been progress in development of those electronics--body cameras, smart glasses, sensors that monitor health, activity trackers and more--one challenge remaining is providing less obtrusive and cumbersome power sources.
"The area of clothing is fixed, so to generate the power density needed in a small area, we grew radially-aligned titanium oxide nanotubes on a titanium wire used as the main electrode," said Liming Dai, the Kent Hale Smith Professor of Macromolecular Science and Engineering. "By increasing the surface area of the electrode, you increase the capacitance."
Dai and Tao Chen, a postdoctoral fellow in molecular science and engineering at Case Western Reserve, published their research on the microsupercapacitor in the journal Energy Storage Materials this week. The study builds on earlier carbon-based supercapacitors.
A capacitor is cousin to the battery, but offers the advantage of charging and releasing energy much faster.
How it works
In this new supercapacitor, the modified titanium wire is coated with a solid electrolyte made of polyvinyl alcohol and phosphoric acid. The wire is then wrapped with either yarn or a sheet made of aligned carbon nanotubes, which serves as the second electrode. The titanium oxide nanotubes, which are semiconducting, separate the two active portions of the electrodes, preventing a short circuit.
In testing, capacitance--the capability to store charge--increased from 0.57 to 0.9 to 1.04 milliFarads per micrometer as the strands of carbon nanotube yarn were increased from 1 to 2 to 3.
When wrapped with a sheet of carbon nanotubes, which increases the effective area of electrode, the microsupercapactitor stored 1.84 milliFarads per micrometer. Energy density was 0.16 x 10-3 milliwatt-hours per cubic centimeter and power density .01 milliwatt per cubic centimeter.
Page 1 of 2
Suggested Items
Würth Elektronik Expands its Range of Power Inductors
05/29/2024 | Wurth ElectronicsIn addition to Würth Elektronik’s five existing package sizes of WE-XHMI SMT power inductors there are now eight new packages. These compact yet extremely efficient inductors feature high current capacity up to 56 A saturation current and the ability to handle high transient current spikes.
Wearable Devices Get Signal Boost from Innovative Material
05/25/2024 | Rice UniversityA new material that moves like skin while preserving signal strength in electronics could enable the development of next-generation wearable devices with continuous, consistent wireless and battery-free functionality.
Growing Wire Harness Industry in India Highlighted at EWPTE 2024
05/24/2024 | Brittany Martin, IPC/WHMA Marketing Coordinator“Made in India” was a central phrase at EWPTE 2024. The wire harness event hosted the inaugural “India Pavilion” which showcased Indian wire harness companies on the exhibit floor.
An AI Revolution in Wire Harness Manufacturing
05/24/2024 | Brittany Martin, IPC/WHMAIn the wire harness industry, a narrative unfolds that is as intricate and interconnected as its products. Arik Vrobel’s journey from El-Com Systems to the founding of Cableteque is one of enduring innovation, strategic adaptation, and a deep understanding of the industry’s evolving needs. His development of an AI application for the wire harness industry may be a game-changer for manufacturers.
Redwire Announces Development of New European-Built Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) Spacecraft Platform called Phantom
05/13/2024 | BUSINESS WIRERedwire Corporation, a leader in space infrastructure for the next generation space economy, announced Phantom, a new European Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) spacecraft platform.