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In physics, the piezoelectric effect can be described as the the link between
electrostatics and mechanics.
History
The piezoelectric effect was discovered in 1880 by the Jacques and Pierre
Curie brothers. They found out that when a mechanical stress was applied
on crystals such as tourmaline, tourmaline, topaz, quartz, Rochelle salt and
cane sugar, electrical charges appeared, and this voltage was proportional
to the stress.
Piezoelectric materials
The piezoelectric effect occurs only in non conductive materials.
Piezoelectric materials can be divided in 2 main groups: crystals and
cermaics. The most well-known piezoelectric material is quartz (SiO2).
Power Walking
Build a device that lets you charge batteries for your cellphone or music player
just by taking a stroll
Nooooo!!!! You’re out walking, and your mp3 player dies! Peter Pachoumis
You're halfway through listening to "Layla" when it happens: Your MP3 player's battery dies.
Normally you'd have to wait until you were at your computer to finish rocking out, but there
is an easy and eco-friendly way to do it on the go. First, slip a piezoelectric transducer -- a
device that generates a tiny charge when touched -- into your shoe. A connected module
collects the voltage created every time you take a step and continuously powers up a
rechargeable AA battery. (It takes a lot of walking to get a full charge, but it's perfect for
reviving or topping off a gadget.) Once the battery is charged, put it into a DIY five-volt
converter, and plug in your dead MP3 player. Now you can listen to the guitar solo while you
walk some more juice into another battery.
Pop it into the converter box, plug into the MP3 player...: Peter Pachoumis
... and enjoy your tunes as you walk off into the sunset: Peter Pachoumis
Related Articles
Tags
DIY, Dave Prochnow, Battery Chargers, DIY, green tech, How 2.0, june 2009, mp3
players, piezoelectric materials
Time: 6 hours
Cost: $73.12
Difficulty: Medium
PARTS
STEPS
1. Download the wiring diagrams. Build the AA battery charger [A]. Connect the
piezoelectric device [B] to the energy-harvesting-module input.
2. Mount the battery holder on the project box. Connect the battery holder's terminals to the
energy-harvesting-module output, and install the module in the box.
3. Test the battery charger by tapping on the piezoelectric device and measuring the voltage
output. Then measure the energy-harvesting module's voltage output.
4. Adapt the converter [C] for USB output. Snip off its plastic connector. Solder the wires
from the circuit board to the USB receptacle's pins. Install the converter inside the USB
enclosure. Test the converter with a fully charged AA battery.
5. Put a rechargeable nickel-cadmium battery [D] into the charger, and get a move on.