[Comprehensive] New textile yarn absorbs sunlight into electricity

New textile yarns absorb sunlight and convert it into electricity

A team of scientists from the University of Florida (UCF) said that the technology was inspired by Nike's self-tied shoelace shoes, inspired by the movie "Back to the Future 2" 30 years ago, and the team is convinced that one day it will be. Can "innovate" wearable technology.

Researchers in the United States have developed rayon that can absorb and store solar energy, and can be woven into textiles. Future jackets and other clothing will be transformed into wearable solar cells.

Associate Professor Jayan Thomas, a nanotechnology scientist at the University’s Nanotechnology Center, said: “The motivation for this R&D came from that movie. If you can develop self-recharging clothes or textiles, these movie illusions can be achieved. This is cool. The idea of ​​this idea is that we make energy storage devices and we make solar cells in the lab. Why don't we combine these two devices?"

This newly designed copper ribbon developed by Thomas's research team is characterized by its filaments, flexibility and lightness. The product has solar cells on one side and an energy storage layer on the other.

Although familiar with advanced nanotechnology, Thomas and his team purchased a small table-top spinning machine and learned how to weave silk into a square yarn.

According to UCF's research and development, it has been proven that rayon can be knitted in whole jackets or other garments to absorb and store energy for cell phones, personal health sensors and other technological devices. This progress overcomes the major drawback of solar cells: the energy they generate must flow into the grid or be stored in non-removable batteries.

"One of the main applications may be for the military. When our soldiers are in Iraq or Afghanistan, they are down in the sun. Some people carry more than 30 pounds of batteries on their bodies. In this hostile environment, the military is very difficult. Bring batteries to soldiers. If there are garments like this, they can absorb and store energy as long as there is sunlight,” Thomas added.

Thomas said there are many other potential uses, including electric cars, that can generate and store energy whenever they are exposed to the sun.

"This is the future trend. We prove that it can be manufactured and produced. This is very useful for the public and military and many other applications." Thomas said.