Bubbles have been extensively explored as energy carriers ranging from boiling heat transfer and targeted cancer diagnosis. Yet, despite notable progress, the kinetic energy inherent in small bubbles remains difficult to harvest. Here, we develop a transistor-inspired bubble energy generator for directly and efficiently harvesting energy from small bubbles. The key points lie in designing dielectric surface with high-density electric charges and tailored surface wettability as well as transistor-inspired electrode configuration. The synergy between these features facilitates fast bubble spreading and subsequent departure, transforms the initial liquid/solid interface into gas/solid interface under the gating of bubble, and yields an output at least one order of magnitude higher than existing studies. We also show that the output can be further enhanced through rapid bubble collapse at the air/liquid interface and multiple bubbles synchronization. We envision that our design will pave the way for small bubble-based energy harvesting in liquid media.

Bubble energy generator

Oceans cover more than 70% of the Earth’s surface. For various reasons, almost 95% of these areas remain unexplored. Underwater wireless communication (UWC) has widespread applications, including real-time aquatic data collection, naval surveillance, natural disaster prevention, archaeological expeditions, oil and gas exploration, shipwreck exploration, maritime security, and the monitoring of aquatic species and water contamination. The promising concept of the Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT) is having a great influence in several areas, for example, in small research facilities and average-sized harbors, as well as in huge unexplored areas of ocean. The IoUT has emerged as an innovative technology with the potential to develop a smart ocean. The IoUT framework integrates different underwater communication techniques such as optical, magnetic induction, and acoustic signals. It is capable of revolutionizing industrial projects, scientific research, and business. The key enabler technology for the IoUT is the underwater wireless sensor network (UWSN); however, at present, this is characterized by limitations in reliability, long propagation delays, high energy consumption, a dynamic topology, and limited bandwidth. This study examines the literature to identify potential challenges and risks, as well as mitigating solutions, associated with the IoUT. Our findings reveal that the key contributing elements to the challenges facing the IoUT are underwater communications, energy storage, latency, mobility, a lack of standardization, transmission media, transmission range, and energy constraints. Furthermore, we discuss several IoUT applications while highlighting potential future research directions.

/pdf/recent-advances-future-trends-applications-and-challenges-of-1bijib74.pdf

Recent Advances, Future Trends, Applications and Challenges of Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT): A Comprehensive Review

Ultra-low frequency vibration energy harvesting: Mechanisms, enhancement techniques, and scaling laws

Polyaniline (PANI) has garnered attention from the scientific community because of its promising suitability for a range of medical, anti-corrosion, and electronic applications, including sensors, solar cells, supercapacitors, and energy storage. Despite its simple preparation and potential to be doped with numerous materials, poor processability and mechanical features continue to restrict its potential in practical applications. To overcome these challenges, researchers have explored PANI-based composites and their features, including their large surface area, extraordinary electrical conductivity, porous morphology structure, active sites mechanical flexibility, and chemical stability. This paper provides an overview of recent studies of the preparation methods, properties, and diverse applications of polyaniline-based composites. The study also outlines various chemical and electrochemical synthesis approaches, focusing on highlighting the influence of reaction conditions and dopants on the microstructure and properties of the composites. This study aims to contribute to the understanding and advancement of polyaniline-based composites in various technological fields, showcasing their multifaceted potential and promising future developments. 

Recent progress in polyaniline and its composites; Synthesis, properties, and applications

Hybrid enhancement effect of structural and material properties of the triboelectric generator on its performance in integrated energy harvester

The buoyancy potential energy contained in bubbles released by subsea geological and biological activities represents a possible in situ energy source for underwater sensing and detection equipment. However, the low gas flux of the bubble seepages that exist widely on the seabed introduces severe challenges. Herein, a passive automatic switch relying on Laplace pressure is proposed for efficient energy harvesting from low-gas-flux bubbles. This switch has no moving mechanical parts; it uses the Laplace-pressure difference across a curved gas-liquid interface in a biconical channel as an invisible "microvalve". If there is mechanical equilibrium between the Laplace-pressure difference and the liquid-pressure difference, the microvalve will remain closed and prevent the release of bubbles as they continue to accumulate. After the accumulated gas reaches a threshold value, the microvalve will open automatically, and the gas will be released rapidly, relying on the positive feedback of interface mechanics. Using this device, the gas buoyancy potential energy entering the energy harvesting system per unit time can be increased by a factor of more than 30. Compared with a traditional bubble energy harvesting system without a switch, this system achieves a 19.55-fold increase in output power and a 5.16-fold enhancement in electrical energy production. The potential energy of ultralow flow rate bubbles (as low as 3.97 mL/min) is effectively collected. This work provides a new design philosophy for passive automatic-switching control of gas-liquid two-phase fluids, presenting an effective approach for harvesting of buoyancy potential energy from low-gas-flux bubble seepages. This opens a promising avenue for in situ energy supply for subsea scientific observation networks. 

Passive Automatic Switch Relying on Laplace Pressure for Efficient Underwater Low-Gas-Flux Bubble Energy Harvesting

The subsea observation network can provide a window for human underwater exploration, but existing power solutions fail to provide sustainable and maintenance-free power for its widespread nodes. The ocean contains a vast amount of bubble potential energy, which has yet to be extracted as an energy source. Existing bubble energy harvesting systems rely heavily on the considerable number of bubbles to generate high enough velocity, incapable of fully utilizing widely distributed weak gas sources. In this work, we propose a bubble stream release scheme specifically designed for weak gas sources, based on the threshold matching principle of the energy harvesting system. Compared to systems that cannot harvest any energy from weak gases, we use a large bubble to start the system and the following small bubbles can generate electricity that otherwise would be wasted. In a system with a height of 1.6 m, the energy density of the bubble stream release scheme reaches 119.31 mJ/L, which is 7.6 times higher than that of the conventional scheme. The advantages of the bubble stream release scheme become more significant as the system height increases. This research allows abundant weak gas sources to become a promising energy source for subsea observation network nodes, accelerating the development of the smart ocean. 

Bubble energy harvesting suitable for weak gas sources using bubble stream release scheme

Human ocean activities are inseparable from the supply of energy. The energy contained in the gas-phase components dispersed in seawater is a potential universal energy source for eupelagic or deep-sea equipment. However, the low energy density of bubbles dispersed in water introduces severe challenges to the potential energy harvesting of gas-phase components. Here, a super-aerophilic biomimetic cactus is developed for underwater dispersive microbubble capture and energy harvesting. The bubbles captured by the super-aerophilic biomimetic cactus spines, driven by the surface tension and liquid pressure, undergo automatic transport, coalescence, accumulation, and concentrated release. The formerly unavailable low-density dispersive surface free energy of the bubbles is converted into high-density concentrated gas buoyancy potential energy, thereby providing an energy source for underwater in situ electricity generation. Experiments show a continuous process of microbubble capture by the biomimetic cactus and demonstrate a 22.76-times increase in output power and a 3.56-times enhancement in electrical energy production compared with a conventional bubble energy harvesting device. The output energy density is 3.64 times that of the existing bubble energy generator. This work provides a novel approach for dispersive gas-phase potential energy harvesting in seawater, opening up promising prospects for wide-area in situ energy supply in underwater environments.

Super-Aerophilic Biomimetic Cactus for Underwater Dispersed Microbubble Capture, Self-Transport, Coalescence, and Energy Harvesting.

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Passive Automatic Switch Relying on Laplace Pressure for Efficient Underwater Low-Gas-Flux Bubble Energy Harvesting

Bubble energy harvesting suitable for weak gas sources using bubble stream release scheme

Super-Aerophilic Biomimetic Cactus for Underwater Dispersed Microbubble Capture, Self-Transport, Coalescence, and Energy Harvesting.