A paper battery powered with blood?
Research first published in 2007 by the Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute claim they make batteries that can be powered by blood,
sweat, tears or even urine! That’s not all: this tiny battery is essentially
made of PAPER!! The paper is made with tiny nanotubes imprinted into it as part
of the process. The end result is nanocomposite paper which can be powered on
directly from your body, allowing pacemakers or possibly even artificial hearts
to be powered indefinitely—well, as long as you eat!
The scientists claim that
nanocomposite paper the size of a newspaper could power a car, though they
haven’t been able to make that much at a time yet. The applications are almost
endless, because the battery would literally be as light and thin as paper,
leaving more room and less weight in vehicles or planes. It would also be
extremely flexible, allowing it to be molded in different shapes or to move
with the body.
Researchers are hoping in the future to be able to print big
sheets which can then be cut to whatever size or shape is needed. The battery
would even function normally with holes punched in it.
Also, because it is
essentially made of paper, the battery is extremely environmentally friendly
when compared to most batteries we use today.
The catch? Well, while the materials themselves are cheap,
it is way too expensive to produce in the sheets described above, and until
they find a way to lower the cost of production, it just isn’t viable. They are
continuing to research ways to boost the efficiency of the batteries and
investigating different manufacturing techniques.
Sources:
We also talked about the possibility of a bio-battery back
in February here: http://ecomerge.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-bio-battery-its-alive.html
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