Researchers have discovered that humidity in the air could power your smartphone or laptop. According to Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), water droplets jumping from a highly repelling surface can be harnessed to produce electricity that could be used to power electronic devices.
Researchers have discovered that when water droplets spontaneously jump away from superhydrophobic surfaces during condensation and gain electric charge in the process. The team of researchers have now demonstrated that this process can generate small amounts of electricity that might be used to power electronic devices.
MIT explained its findings in a press release: “Last year, MIT researchers discovered that when water droplets spontaneously jump away from superhydrophobic surfaces during condensation, they can gain electric charge in the process. Now, the same team has demonstrated that this process can generate small amounts of electricity that might be used to power electronic devices.”
The report stated that a “superhydrophobic surface” with silica-based nano-coatings can repel water. Apart from charging you electronic devices the technology could also pave the way for a new system of producing clean water and generating power.
“The same process can be used to generate power, simply by giving the second plate a hydrophilic surface,” MIT reported. “As the droplets jump, they carry charge from one plate to the other; if the two plates are connected through an external circuit, that charge difference can be harnessed to provide power.”
MIT’s post-doctoral fellow Nenad Milijkovic said all we need to do is create a relationship between water in the air and a source of power or energy.
“Water will condense out from the atmosphere, it happens naturally,” Milijkovic told MIT. “The atmosphere is a huge source of power, and all you need is a temperature difference between the air and the device.”
Source: MIT