New technology uses nothing but air to generate power
University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst scientists have built a device, which uses a natural protein to generate electricity from the moisture present in the air. The device was created in the laboratories of electrical engineer Jun Yao and microbiologist Derek Lovley at UMass Amherst. They believe that this new technology could have a significant impact on the future of renewable energy, climate change, and medicine. The research, published in Nature, describes a device called an “Air-gen” or air-powered generator, with electrically conductive protein nanowires produced by the microbe ‘Geobacter.’ The Air-gen connects electrodes to the protein nanowires in a way that electrical current is produced from the water vapor that is naturally present in the atmosphere.
Yao explains that they are making electricity out of thin air. The Air-gen produces clean energy 24/7, adds Lovley, who has been working on advanced sustainable biology-based electronic materials over three decades. Lovley believes it to be ‘the most amazing and exciting application of protein nanowires yet.’ The new technology can generate power even in low-humidity areas like the Sahara Desert. Lovley says that the technology has substantial advantages over other forms of renewable energy like solar and wind, as the Air-gen, unlike other renewable energy sources, does not need sunlight or wind and can even work indoors. The Air-gen device has only a thin film of protein nanowires less than 10 microns thick, which rests on an electrode, while a smaller electrode that extends to only a part of the nanowire film rests on top. This film absorbs water vapor present in the atmosphere. By combining electrical conductivity and surface chemistry of the protein nanowires, along with the fine pores between the nanowires in the film, establishes the conditions favorable for the generation of electric current between the two electrodes.
The researchers explain that the current generation of Air-gen devices can power small electronics, and they expect to commercialize their invention soon. In the following phases of development, they will work on a small Air-gen ‘patch,’ which can power electronic wearables such as health and fitness monitors and smartwatches, which would eradicate the need for traditional batteries. Eventually, they are also working on developing Air-gens for cell phones so they would not need to be charged periodically.
