Porous metal-oxide based electrostatic energy generator

The rapid advancement of electronic devices induces urgent demand for portable energy sources for uninterrupted operation. This paper presents the method for the generation of electrical energy using the variable-capacitance of a special capacitor. Analytical calculations show that the electrostatic energy of an isolated capacitor increases significantly if the permittivity of the dielectric layer decreases. Importantly, the charge on capacitor plates should be constant. At the first stage, a thin and porous oxide layer is grown on one surface of both electrodes using the standard anodization process. After that, an electrolyte-soaked membrane is inserted between both electrodes. The variable-capacitance is achieved by the axial movement of one electrode against the other one. This proposed method is useful to reduce the negative effect of the air gap; as a result, the efficiency of the electrostatic generator enhances significantly. This electrostatic generator is useful for portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, global positioning systems, and medical devices.