Rain Generator – Triboelectric Nanogenerator (TENG)

[Delmar]

This topic should go under Renewable Energy Sources however its neither hydroelectric nor wind. The system operates from the charge in rain droplets, not the mechanical energy of them falling. Mentioned 50 watts/M2. or about a third the output of a solar panel. Also looks easy to DIY.

Could have big implications for areas that get more rain than sun, example Seattle, Vancouver or the United Kingdom. Or hurricane grid-down which is critical to me, during 2017 Hurricane Harvey I did not see the sun for a week rendering my solar panels as useless. We got enough rain to drown when standing up.

NPG Asia white paper

 

[FilterGuy]

fascinating. It would be interesting to see a full-scale panel built and tested. I wonder what would be needed for a controller?

Imagine a combination of solar and rain panels that can generate power in any weather.

 

[timselectric]

That would be very cool.

 

[svetz]

The system operates from the charge in rain droplets, not the mechanical energy of them falling.

You don't need a charge from a falling raindrop, from the video it works from the eyedropper and you can bet that water isn't charged.

The action of the drop rolling across a surface with different affinities for electrons is enough. One material gives up electrons freely, the other material grabs them, the drop acts as a charge carrier. One problem the system might have to overcome is dirt, seems like both surfaces would need to be hydrophobic (e.g., drops of water, not films or streams).

Here's a chart of the triboelectric series, you've probably seen it before in grade school when studying static electricity (e.g., rubbing balloons on your head and sticking them to walls ; -).

50 watt/m² doesn't sound like much. But if the roof has a surface area of 100m² (~1000 ft²) then that's 5 kW while it rains. When I was in Corvalis during the wet season it rained non-stop for a week. It's not uncommon to have a silicon roof membrane here, so I could see interlocking roof tiles that generated power.

Glass is on the other end of the Triboelectric series, so possibly a roof tile is comprised of solar cells under the glass with a silicon or teflon edge? Then, rain or shine you're getting some power.

 

[Delmar]

OK I will restate that it works on the basis of charge as opposed to mechanical energy.

50 watt/m² doesn't sound like much, but during hurricane grid-down would output lots more than my solar panels, and generate power at night. During survival mode 100 watts can power my lights, internet and computer.

 

[Firesky567]

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