Earlier this week we discussed the rise of wave energy in the renewable energy sector. Now, scientists have discovered yet another potential source of green power drawn from the thermal motion of graphene at room temperature.
The new technique captures the nanometre-sized rippling and random movement of particles found in room temperature graphene. These tiny movements produce an electric current that could have widespread small technology applications.
Physicist Paul Thibado from the University of Arkansas said, “An energy-harvesting circuit based on graphene could be incorporated into a chip to provide clean, limitless, low-voltage power for small devices or sensors.”
The breakthrough in the technology was the ability to use two diodes in the circuit to convert the original alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC). This allowed the current to flow along two separate paths in both directions along the circuit.
The next step in the research is to experiment with practical applications for the energy source. Although the generated current is relatively small, it could be enough to power small devices or batteries with limitless clean energy.
