Subj : Tiny heat pump that relies on changing ambient temperature could
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Mon Apr 29 2024 07:00:06

Tiny heat pump that relies on changing ambient temperature could be key to 
powering IoT devices and sensors without batteries forever  Nanoparticles are 
critical to the process, posit scientists

Date:
Mon, 29 Apr 2024 05:46:47 +0000

Description:
Researchers at the University of Utah have developed a Pyroelectrochemical 
(PEC) cell that converts thermal energy into electricity.

FULL STORY
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As IoT technology progresses, the question of how to power these devices, 
particularly in locations where reliable electrical sources are scarce, 
presents a significant challenge. 

Researchers at the University of Utahs College of Engineering have pioneered 
a new form of battery that could help solve this dilemma. The solution, which 
is at the proof of concept stage, comes in the form of a pyroelectrochemical 
cell (PEC). 

Developed by associate professors of mechanical engineering Roseanne Warren 
and Shad Roundy, the integrated device harvests ambient thermal energy and 
converts it into stored electrochemical energy. This effectively creates a 
supercapacitor or battery, which could be ideal for IoT and sensor 
applications. Low levels of energy 

The device works by charging with changes in its surrounding temperatures, 
whether located inside a vehicle, an aircraft, or even underneath soil in an 
agricultural environment. 

Were talking very low levels of energy harvesting," Warren said, "but the 
ability to have sensors that can be distributed and not need to be recharged 
in the field is the main advantage. We explored the basic physics of it and 
found that it could generate a charge with an increase in temperature or a 
decrease in temperature. 

Whilst solar cells can provide an alternative power source of IoT devices, 
the practicalities often present issues. In a lot of environments, you run 
into two problems, said Roundy. One is that it gets dirty over time. Solar 
cells have to be kept clean. So in these types of applications, they get 
dirty and their power degrades. And then there are a lot of applications 
where you just dont have sunlight available. For example, we work on soil 
sensors that we put just under the top surface of the soil. Youre not going 
to get any sunlight. 

With the use of a pyroelectric composite material made of porous 
polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and barium titanate nanoparticles as the 
separator in an electrochemical cell, the devices electrical properties 
change as it's heated or cooled. This action modifies the polarization of the 
pyroelectric separator. This shifting of temperatures in turn creates an 
electric field within the cell, moving ions around and allowing the cell to 
store energy. 

Despite only producing up to 100 microjoules per square centimeter from a 
single heating/cooling cycle, this could be enough for the needs of some IoT 
applications. 

The study, funded by the National Science Foundation, is the cover feature in 
the March 21 edition of the journal Energy & Environmental Science , 
published by the Royal Society of Chemistry. More from TechRadar Pro 
Microsoft AI finds new material that could replace lithium batteries How to 
keep your IoT devices secure Two sides of AI in the Industrial Internet of 
Things



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/tiny-heat-pump-that-relies-on-changing-ambient-t
emperature-could-be-key-to-powering-iot-devices-and-sensors-without-batteries-
forever-nanoparticles-are-critical-to-the-process-posit-scientists


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