Generate small electric from flowing water

Generate electrical currents though small from various energy sources that cheap,friendly, and can be renewed are still being conducted by scientists and researchers in order to find proper alternative energy. You probably ever thought that the flowing water essentially also have an energy. Yes,that's right...As performed by the researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute which has succeeded utilize flowing water and a nanoengineered graphene coating to generate electrical energy, although small.

In the study, the researchers use graphene grown by chemical vapor disposition on a copper substrate. It will be transferred onto silicon dioxide. The researchers then tried to use molecular dynamics simulations to know the reaction that will occur between the graphene and running water. It turn out that chlorine ions present in the water stick to its surface. The friction that occurs between flowing water and adsorbed chlorine ion layers causes the ions to drift along the flow direction and finally will produce internal current. The researchers managed to generate 85 nanowatts using a graphene sheet.

The small electricity will be suitable to power microsensors in the field of oil and gas recovery. It could be introduced into various fluids and pumped down into a potential oil well. The research published in the journal Nano letters, the research leader, Professor Nikhil Koratkar explained about the possibility of graphene coating technology to be applied to other applications like self-powered microbots or microsubmarines.