Droplet energy harvesting panel

Breakthroughs in high-efficiency droplet energy harvesters have been achieved by taking advantage of the transistor-inspired bulk effect; however, strategies toward large-scale application under multi-position droplet impacts are lacking. In this work, we developed a fully transparent and high-performance droplet energy harvesting (DEH) panel that allows for high-efficiency droplet energy harvesting under multi-position droplet impacts from both fixed and random positions. The proposed DEH panel possesses the superiorities of (1) high performance, originating from the bulk effect of the new coplanar-electrode transistor-inspired structure; (2) ease of integration, requiring only one patterning process to form the coplanar electrodes and one full-wave rectifier in external rectification; and (3) full transparency, endowing it with great potential for integration with solar panels and smart windows. We also developed a wireless forest monitoring system fully powered by the proposed DEH panel, showing its great potential in self-powered environmental monitoring. The DEH panel is also low-cost and facile for massive fabrication, representing a new pathway for high-efficiency droplet energy harvesting.

Automated summary

This work presents a fully transparent and high-performance droplet energy harvesting (DEH) panel that can efficiently harvest energy from droplet impacts at multiple positions. The DEH panel demonstrates high performance, ease of integration, and full transparency, making it suitable for integration with solar panels and smart windows. Additionally, a wireless forest monitoring system powered by the DEH panel is developed, demonstrating its potential in self-powered environmental monitoring. The DEH panel is also low-cost and easily fabricated at a large scale, providing a new pathway for high-efficiency droplet energy harvesting.