December 1 - 6, 2024
Boston, Massachusetts
Symposium Supporters
2024 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit
CH02.04.28

Understanding the Electrokinetic Role of Ions on Electricity Generation in Hydrovoltaic Systems

When and Where

Dec 3, 2024
8:00pm - 10:00pm
Hynes, Level 1, Hall A

Presenter(s)

Co-Author(s)

Min Sung Kang1,Sung Beom Cho1

Ajou University1

Abstract

Min Sung Kang1,Sung Beom Cho1

Ajou University1
Hydrovoltaic is emerging as a promising energy harvesting technology with the remarkable capability of generating energy through the direct interaction of water and material. The hydrovoltaic generates voltage-level potentials without any external force, and its electrical performance can be enhanced by using an aqueous solution. However, it is not clear how ions affect or interact with the material. Herein, the theoretical model was used to provide an in-depth analysis of working principles. The model, validated with experimental results, incorporates four physics: water flow in unsaturated porous media, transportation of ions, chemical reactions, and electrostatics. It was found that the distribution of ions is key to improving the voltage output. The higher gradient of ions’ concentration leads to strong potential differences, and its asymmetry of concentration is mainly governed by the water flow and concentration distribution. Additionally, we analyzed the parametric effects of substrate porosity, and relative humidity under the various solutions. The results showed that the presence of salt ions makes the electrical performance highly sensitive to porosity, but less sensitive to relative humidity. These findings improve the understanding of hydrovoltaic mechanisms and pave the way for the practical use of hydrovoltaic systems.

Keywords

diffusion

Symposium Organizers

Ye Cao, The University of Texas at Arlington
Jinghua Guo, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Amy Marschilok, Stony Brook University
Liwen Wan, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Session Chairs

Jinghua Guo
Liwen Wan

In this Session