Body heat into electricity: scientists developed a new way to charge gadgets

Scientists from NUST MISIS have found solutions to this problem by developing a new type of thermocell consisting of metal oxide electrodes and an aqueous electrolyte. This combination will increase the current, while simultaneously reducing the internal resistance of the element. Due to the use of water, it will give the output an increase in power by 10-20 times compared to analogs - up to 0.2 V at an electrode temperature of up to 85° C. Scientists from NUST MISIS have found solutions to...

Scientists from NUST MISIS have found solutions to this problem by developing a new type of thermocell consisting of metal oxide electrodes and an aqueous electrolyte. This combination will increase the current, while simultaneously reducing the internal resistance of the element. Due to the use of water, it will give the output an increase in power by 10-20 times compared to analogs - up to 0.2 V at an electrode temperature of up to 85° C.

"We have shown the possibility of using a nickel oxide electrode based on hollow nickel microspheres in a thermocell. A record for aqueous electrolytes hypothetical Seebeck coefficient has been reached. In addition, we have found a nonlinear change in current-voltage characteristics, which is not typical for thermocells, which ensures an increase in the device's efficiency," commented Igor Burmistrov, one of the authors of the work, a scientist from NUST MISIS.

The high Seebeck coefficient will allow even the heat of the human body to be used as an energy source. There is another significant advantage of the new structure - the use of an aqueous electrolyte reduces the cost of production and increases the safety of the system.

Further, the scientists intend to achieve an increase in the output power by optimizing the composition of the electrode material and improving the design of the thermocell. In the future, it is possible to create a supercapacitor that would retain its charge for a long time.

Source: https://en.misis.ru/university/news/science/2020-08/6903/

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