Researchers at Seoul National University and Korea Electronics Technology Institute have devised a way to harness the motion of water from raindrops and toilet flushing and turn it into a renewable energy source.
By adapting a transducer to harvest mechanical energy from the flow of water the research team led by Youn Sang Kim has found a way to convert the flow into electrical energy that would be able to power up appliances and devices.
The scientists demonstrated that a single drop of water generates enough electricity to power up an LED light bulb.
The study could lead to a sustainable system that would allow people to generate power from things they haven’t thought of:
- toilet flushing in a washroom
- running water down the sink
- rain falling in gutters
Detailed research documentation is available in the journal Energy & Environmental Science.
video courtesy of Chemistry World UK and PSFK Labs