China makes an underwater generator that 'mimics' seaweed

Dalian Maritime University built generators that convert wave motion into electricity, powering equipment at sea.

Many coastal areas install networks of sensors that collect information on currents, tides and water clarity to help ships navigate and monitor water quality. These systems are primarily battery-powered and require frequent battery replacement, which is time-consuming and costly.

To solve this problem, experts Minyi Xu, Zhong Lin Wang and colleagues at Dalian Maritime University developed a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) inspired by plants living on the seabed, New Atlas today October 21 reported. The team wanted to mimic the way the twigs of seaweed move to charge the frictional electrical surfaces that can be bent, turning the motion of the waves into electricity to power marine sensors.

TENG takes advantage of the triboelectric effect - an electrical charge that builds up in a material after it separates from the other material it is in contact with. This is the cause of static electricity when combing hair.

This generator is inspired by plants that live on the bottom of the sea.

The Dalian Maritime University device consists of a thin, porous, porous sponge sandwiched between two 38-76 mm thick sheets of two different polymers. The polymer sheets are coated with conductive ink, while the sponge creates air gaps between them. The entire device is wrapped with waterproof tape.

As the TENG moves back and forth, even in relatively weak currents, the two polymer sheets squeeze the sponge and intermittently contact each other, generating an electric current. In wave pool tests, multiple TENGs can be used at the same time to provide uninterruptible power to devices such as marine environmental sensors, eliminating the need to change batteries. New research published in the journal ACS Nano.