Vibration-powered generating batteries recharge when shaken

July 18, 2010 by Lisa Zyga weblog
Battery generator

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In this AA-size prototype, the generator and rechargeable battery are installed in two different cases. The voltage of the capacitor is 3.2V or lower. Image credit: Brother Industries Ltd.

(PhysOrg.com) -- Whether you're away from electricity or you don't mind expending a few of your own calories, a new generator allows you to recharge it simply by shaking it. Its developer, Brother Industries Ltd, says that the "vibration-powered generating battery" can replace AA and AAA batteries for devices that have a power consumption of about 100 mW, such as a flashlight or remote control.

Although the new gadget is technically a small generator, it is designed to fit inside a battery-shaped case. Inside the case is the generator as well as a that has a capacitance of about 500 mF. The company has developed prototypes in which the generator and capacitor both fit into a single battery-size case, and in which the generator and capacitor each have their own battery-size case, in which the capacitor has a greater voltage.

To recharge the unit, the entire device containing it (such as a flashlight or remote control) can be shaken. The company hopes that the new approach to recharging could cut down on the amount of batteries used in low-power electronics.

"The new generator will semipermanently eliminate the need to replace batteries and contribute to reducing the amount of wastes," Brother Industries said.

The company will exhibit the vibration-powered generating battery for the first time at the Techno-Frontier 2010 exhibition later this week in Tokyo. The demonstration will include using the generator in an LED flashlight, a TV remote control, and a remote control for lighting equipment.

More information: via: Tech-On

© 2010 PhysOrg.com

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Zilwiki
Jul 18, 2010

Rank: 5 / 5 (3)
How long does a charge last, and how much does the battery cost?
Jigga
Jul 18, 2010

Rank: 3.7 / 5 (3)
This concept is neither new, neither successful

http://gajitz.com...battery/
jimbo92107
Jul 18, 2010

Rank: 5 / 5 (2)
Wanna charge your shake-up battery really fast? Fasten it to the bottom of your car's front shock absorber!
TehDog
Jul 18, 2010

Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
This concept is neither new, neither successful

http://gajitz.com...battery/


Your link refers to a NiMH battery, the article above clearly refers to a capacitor based design.
I am not an electrical engineer, so I'm not going to comment on the merits of either technology, but I suspect it's apples and oranges time.
redkattseven
Jul 18, 2010

Rank: 5 / 5 (9)
If you were to place this battery in a vibrator...... would it ever stop?
LWM
Jul 18, 2010

Rank: 4.3 / 5 (3)
What about wireless mouse/keyboard? I am always replacing the stupid batteries in those...maybe the pressure from pressing the keys or moving the mouse keeps it charged?
gopher65
Jul 18, 2010

Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
What about wireless mouse/keyboard? I am always replacing the stupid batteries in those...maybe the pressure from pressing the keys or moving the mouse keeps it charged?

There are already keyboards on the market that are partially powered by keystrokes.
Kedas
Jul 19, 2010

Rank: 5 / 5 (2)
If you were to place this battery in a vibrator...... would it ever stop?


Not sure if this is serious question or not but yes it would stop. You can see it more as a shock absorber.
stanfrax
Jul 19, 2010

Rank: 1 / 5 (2)
this tech was around during the 2nd world war - like the electric car but the oil companys bought all the patants - its held back tech so they could burn oil and poizon for profit - with everthing going on - i feel its been released to make sheeple say wow
rgwalther
Jul 19, 2010

Rank: 5 / 5 (2)
this tech was around during the 2nd world war - like the electric car but the oil companys bought all the patants - its held back tech so they could burn oil and poizon for profit - with everthing going on - i feel its been released to make sheeple say wow

EVIL CORPORATIONS! Everything is hidden in Warehouse 13, except your brain. The malevolent scientists could not find a container small enough.
stanfrax
Jul 19, 2010

Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
this tech was around during the 2nd world war - like the electric car but the oil companys bought all the patants - its held back tech so they could burn oil and poizon for profit - with everthing going on - i feel its been released to make sheeple say wow
evil corparations i agree - warehouse 13 lol - you didnt have to attack my brain but if you feel you had to get some kind of ego trip from your monkey intellegence - im happy for you - the scientist - there in the pockets of our placed leaders

stanfrax
Jul 19, 2010

Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
could every one cheer every one up and give every one a five star rating :)im only trying to join in
david_42
Jul 19, 2010

Rank: not rated yet
The primary advantage of a capacitor over a battery is almost infinite recharge cycles; secondary, little or no deterioration when stored. The battery approach would have more capacity per charge.

Getting a physical product to market is a slow process, guys. You can't just slap it together like a website or some app in a week.
kaypee
Jul 19, 2010

Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
this tech was around during the 2nd world war - like the electric car but the oil companys bought all the patants - its held back tech so they could burn oil and poizon for profit - with everthing going on - i feel its been released to make sheeple say wow


Where's your (credible) reference? Claims of suppression are usually BS -- oil is just cheaper to acquire and process, and doesn't depend on some varying environmental condition.
trekgeek1
Jul 19, 2010

Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
If you were to place this battery in a vibrator...... would it ever stop?


Dammit!! I swear, I had that typed up yesterday for the third comment on this article. I hit "cancel" instead of "submit" because I thought I would get 1 starred off the page! Bravo, I commend your bravery.
HealingMindN
Jul 19, 2010

Rank: not rated yet
Is this the same concept as those shake flashlights that use a faraday coil, but puts the energy into a batt instead of a lamp?
eurekalogic
Jul 20, 2010

Rank: not rated yet
um what ever happened to the watch that winds itself up? That could easily be the phone that charges itself up.. Nothing new here folks.
gopher65
Jul 20, 2010

Rank: not rated yet
Dammit!! I swear, I had that typed up yesterday for the third comment on this article. I hit "cancel" instead of "submit" because I thought I would get 1 starred off the page! Bravo, I commend your bravery.

It's not a stupid question, it's just an uninformed question. But don't worry, people ask variations on that question all the time. It's ok to ask, because everyone is uninformed in some areas; no one knows everything about everything.

This won't work for the same reason that a swinging pendulum won't swing indefinitely: there are small losses is the system due to friction. A pendulum - or a vibrator with a vibration energy recovery system (like the one described in this article) - recovers most of the energy it expends on every swing (or vibration in your question), but *most* isn't *all*. Eventually such a device looses enough energy where it can no longer overcome friction, and it stops.
TehDog
Jul 20, 2010

Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
your link refers to a NiMH battery, the article above clearly refers to a capacitor based design

Not quite, capacitor is forming only one half of device. The second cyllinder is normal AA battery.


The article clearly refers to both a single unit:-
"The company has developed prototypes in which the generator and capacitor both fit into a single battery-size case."
And a dual unit:-
"and prototypes in which the generator and capacitor each have their own battery-size case, in which the capacitor has a greater voltage."
Please learn to read.
Nartoon
Jul 24, 2010

Rank: not rated yet
100 mW; speak Engrish if you're using batteries say mAh so we know where in hell this battery fits in. If it can't light anything more than a small flashlight for a few minutes, and costs $$$ then it's just a novelty -- the article doesn't give us a clue. Well maybe, 100 mW @ 3 v = 33 mAh. Yikes that's less than useless.
trekgeek1
Jul 25, 2010

Rank: not rated yet

It's not a stupid question, it's just an uninformed question. But don't worry, people ask variations on that question all the time. It's ok to ask, because everyone is uninformed in some areas; no one knows everything about everything.

This won't work for the same reason that a swinging pendulum won't swing indefinitely: there are small losses is the system due to friction. A pendulum - or a vibrator with a vibration energy recovery system (like the one described in this article) - recovers most of the energy it expends on every swing (or vibration in your question), but *most* isn't *all*. Eventually such a device looses enough energy where it can no longer overcome friction, and it stops.


I meant say it as a joke, not a physics question, I know it would stop. But thank you for treating my "question" with respect.
Ulg
Aug 01, 2010

Rank: not rated yet
if it is piezoelectric or inductive based generation it will technically vibrate longer then if an equal supply of power with no cogeneration is present is applied.

A quartz bell with a wire connected each halve will ring longer, considerably longer actually
Rank 4.5 /5 (19 votes)
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