基于仿生毛细管折纸设计的极简水伏发电机

Bioinspired capillary origami design for minimalist hydrovoltaic power generation

水伏发电作为一种新兴的绿色能源技术,可从自然界无处不在的水运动中捕获电能,具有广泛的应用前景.其中,水蒸发发电技术因其性能稳定、输出持续、应用场景广泛而备受关注.受睡莲“吸水(根)-传输(茎)-蒸发(叶)”生物结构的启发,本研究以常见的滤纸、铅笔以及自然广泛存在的微生物为原材料,通过简单的折纸、绘画、贴膜构建了可漂浮的极简水伏发电机(minimalist hydrovoltaic generator).在仿生结构中,水运动是由滤纸条将底部的水分吸收并由其内部的毛细管道进行传输,再通过膜顶部的蒸发实现.最大电压可达0.58 V,持续产电时间超过6天且不衰减.相较于传统的斜插式水蒸发发电装置,此极简水伏发电机以滤纸内部丰富的毛细管为吸水通道,任意折纸造型为水传输和蒸发基底,铅笔中的碳为电极材料,实现稳定持续的电功率输出,为野外的电子设备持续供电,具有环境友好、成本低廉、制造简易、负碳排放等优点.本研究为便携式水伏发电机的实际应用提供了理论支持,对全球碳中和与绿色能源技术的发展具有重要意义.

Hydrovoltaics generating sustainable electricity from ubiquitous water available in nature has attracted tremendous interest recently,thus developing a promising source of green energy.Especially,the evaporation-induced electricity stands out because of its stable performance,continuous output and wide application fields.Inspired by the“absorption-transport-evaporation”biological structure of floating leaf aquatic plants,a minimalist hydrovoltaic power generation was proposed using commercial paper,pencil,and natural microbial film as raw materials,and constructed by simple origami,drawing,and film-assembly.Exposing such a centimeter-sized device can produce a maximum voltage of 0.58 V,and a continuous generating electricity for more than 6 days without attenuation.The minimalist hydrovoltaic generator was constructed with a variety of pencil-drawing electrodes and origami capillary structures,can achieve stable and continuous electricity to power commercial electronic devices in the actual environment,with eco-friendly,low-cost,simple,zero carbon emissions,etc.This study provides theoretical guidance and technical support for the commercial application of a portable hydrovoltaic power generator,and has important significance for realizing the goal of“double carbon”.