The University of Texas System

Industry-University Cooperation Foundation Hanyang University

Jiangtao Di

Ray H Baughman

Shaoli Fang

Carter Sebastian Haines

Na Li

Seon Jeong Kim

Shi Hyeong Kim

Changsoon Choi

Tae Jin Mun

Keon Jung Kim

Yarn energy harvesters containing conducing nanomaterials (such as carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn harvesters) that electrochemically convert tensile or torsional mechanical energy into electrical energy. Stretched coiled yarns can generate 250 W/kg of peak electrical power when cycled up to 24 Hz, and can generate up to 41.2 J/kg of electrical energy per mechanical cycle. Unlike for other harvesters, torsional rotation produces both tensile and torsional energy harvesting and no bias voltage is required, even when electrochemically operating in salt water. Since homochiral and heterochiral coiled harvester yarns provide oppositely directed potential changes when stretched, both contribute to output power in a dual-electrode yarn. These energy harvesters were used in the ocean to harvest wave energy, combined with thermally-driven artificial muscles to convert temperature fluctuations to electrical energy, sewn into textiles for use as self-powered respiration sensors, and used to power a light emitting diode and to charge a storage capacitor.

Coiled and twisted nanofiber yarns for electrochemically harvesting electrical energy from mechanical deformation

The described incandescent tension annealing processes involve thermally annealing twisted or coiled carbon nanotube (CNT) yarns at high-temperatures (1000&#xb0; C. to 3000&#xb0; C.) while these yarns are under tensile loads. These processes can be used for increasing yarn modulus and strength and for stabilizing both twisted and coiled CNT yarns with respect to unwanted irreversible untwist, thereby avoiding the need to tether torsional and tensile artificial muscles, and increasing the mechanical loads that can be moved by these muscles.

Incandescent tension annealing processes for strong, twist-stable carbon nanotube yarns and muscles

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Jiangsu, China

Jiangtao Di