Power out of thin air could one day become a reality. Well not exactly thin air but the electromagnetic signals that surround us in the atmosphere.
Professor Manos M. Tentzeris. Image Credit: Georgia Tech
A professor in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computing Engineering has developed an ultra-wideband rectifying antenna used to convert microwave energy to DC power. Professor Manos Tentzeris came up with this antenna by combining sensor, antennas, inkjet printers and flexible polymers.
The scientists involved say that the process uses silver and other nanoparticles. The antenna can generate hundreds of microwatts from just TV bands alone. Professor Tentzeris said that there was a large amount of electromagnetic energy all around us, but nobody has been able to tap into it as yet.
The team believes that self-powered, wireless paper-based sensors will soon be widely available at very low cost. Researchers hope that when it’s combined with advanced capacitor technology, the device could provide up to 50 milliwatts.