New paradigms of water‐enabled electrical energy generation
Zhengtong Li,
Tao Yang,
Jia‐Han Zhang,
Taotao Meng,
Saad Melhi,
Jungmok You,
Miharu Eguchi,
Likun Pan,
Yusuke Yamauchi,
Xingtao Xu
Affiliations
Zhengtong Li
The National Key Laboratory of Water Disaster Prevention, Yangtze Institute for Conservation and Development, State Key Laboratory of Hydrology‐Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering Hohai University Nanjing China
Tao Yang
The National Key Laboratory of Water Disaster Prevention, Yangtze Institute for Conservation and Development, State Key Laboratory of Hydrology‐Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering Hohai University Nanjing China
Jia‐Han Zhang
School of Electronic Information Engineering Inner Mongolia University Hohhot China
Taotao Meng
College of Materials Science and Engineering Nanjing Forestry University Nanjing China
Saad Melhi
Department of Chemistry College of Science University of Bisha Bisha Saudi Arabia
Jungmok You
Department of Plant & Environmental New Resources, College of Life Sciences Kyung Hee University Yongin‐si Gyeonggi‐do South Korea
Miharu Eguchi
Department of Applied Chemistry School of Advanced Science and Engineering Waseda University Shinjuku‐ku Tokyo Japan
Likun Pan
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance School of Physics and Electronic Science East China Normal University Shanghai China
Yusuke Yamauchi
Department of Plant & Environmental New Resources, College of Life Sciences Kyung Hee University Yongin‐si Gyeonggi‐do South Korea
Xingtao Xu
Department of Materials Process EngineeringGraduate School of EngineeringNagoya UniversityNagoya Japan
Abstract Nanotechnology‐inspired small‐sized water‐enabled electricity generation (WEG) has sparked widespread research interest, especially when applied as an electricity source for off‐grid low‐power electronic equipment and systems. Currently, WEG encompasses a wide range of physical phenomena, generator structures, and power generation environments. However, a systematic framework to clearly describe the connections and differences between these technologies is unavailable. In this review, a comprehensive overview of generator technologies and the typical mechanisms for harvesting water energy is provided. Considering the different roles of water in WEG processes, the related technologies are presented as two different scenarios. Moreover, a detailed analysis of the electrical potential formation in each WEG process is presented, and their similarities and differences are elucidated. Furthermore, a comprehensive compilation of advanced generator architectures and system designs based on hydrological cycle processes is presented, along with their respective energy efficiencies. These nanotechnology‐inspired small‐sized WEG devices show considerable potential for applications in the Internet of Things ecosystem (i.e., microelectronic devices, integrated circuits, and smart clothing). Finally, the prospects and future challenges of WEG devices are also summarized.
