Dr. Nader Shehata
Funded By: - Kuwait Foundation for Advancement of Science (KFAS)
Funding Amount: - KD 9000
Year: - 2017
Summary: - Energy harvesting is an indispensable area of research for both developed and developing countries. In this proposal, mechanical energy in oscillating systems will be considered for harvesting, which includes a myriad of applications such as wave energy converters, sensors, and biomedical engineering. This project aims to explore the fabrication and characterization of an energy harvester based on Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) aligned nanofibers generated by the electrospinning technique. The electrospinning technique allows the applications of high DC-Voltage which will enhance the formation of enough polarization inside β-PVDF, to support parallel β-sheets. Moreover, the nanofibers will be aligned in fabrication by adding a collector with a high rotator speed (up to 2000 rpm) or by applying both electric and magnetic fields at the collector side of the electrospinning facility. Also, Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) will be added in-situ to enhance the performance of β-sheets and consequently enhance the efficiency of piezo-electricity of the formed nanofibers, taking into consideration the mechanical properties of the host PVDF such as strength, stiffness, and toughness. Then, the piezoelectric sensitivity of our synthesized nanofibers can be tested through an initiated piezoelectric analysis setup.
