Towards an Electrostatic Energy Harvester for Low Frequencies Using a Liquid Electrode

The concept and suitable technologies leading to an electrostatic energy harvester based on the motion of an electrolyte acting as a liquid electrode are presented. It is designed to exploit the mechanical energy associated with a 90° rotation by simultaneously changing the area of two antiparallel capacitors. In order to increase their capacitance, a custom made dielectric coating with enhanced relative permittivity is produced. Tests concerning the mobility of the electrolyte are presented, which can be potentially improved by adding small amounts of surfactant. Experimental validation shows promising results for the proposed energy harvester design being especially suitable for operation at low frequencies.