Mass electricity generation in the ocean, enabling continuous power supply to mobile phones and drones

The Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Yoo Young-min, hereinafter MSIT) announced that a research team led by Professor Kim Sun-jung (Hanyang University) has developed a state-of-the-art yarn that automatically generates electrical energy when contracting, expanding, or rotating.

The research team manufactured a coil-shaped twistron thread (carbon nanotube artificial muscle) by twisting carbon nanotubes. When this thread is pulled in an electrolyte, its volume decreases as the twisting increases. As a result, its electrical capacity to store charge decreases, and electrical energy is produced in an amount equal to the change in capacity.

The research team demonstrated the potential for application as an energy harvester through experiments in which twistron threads self-generated electrical energy using waves or temperature changes.

When a balloon was attached to a Twistron thread and placed directly into the ocean, electrical energy was generated whenever waves crashed, and electrical energy was also automatically produced when the Twistron thread was connected to a nylon artificial muscle that moves due to temperature changes in the air.

Professor Kim Seon-jeong explained the significance of the research, stating, “Unlike conventional batteries, twistron threads, which can produce unlimited electrical energy semi-permanently, are expected to have various applications, such as mass electricity production in the ocean and continuous power supply for mobile phones and drones.”