About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Functional Nanomaterials: Functional Low-Dimensional (0D, 1D, 2D) Materials 2026
|
| Presentation Title |
Mechanical Energy Harvesting and Actuation Using Coiled or Plied Carbon Nanotube Yarns |
| Author(s) |
Mengmeng Zhang, Shaoli Fang, Ray Baughman |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Mengmeng Zhang |
| Abstract Scope |
The twist conversion of carbon nanotube yarn twist into the coiling twist enables either mechanoelectrical or electromechanical energy conversion, which is critical for high-performance mechanical energy harvesters and artificial muscles. We describe the physical basis of these quite different devices, performance enhancement, and their useful applications. The key issues are the used methods and materials to improve harvesting and muscle performance, as well as their specific applications, such as wearable harvesters, self-powered strain sensors, robots and intelligent insulating textiles. For example, for harvesting frequencies between 2 and 120 Hz, our plied twistron harvesters have higher gravimetric peak power and average power than any other previously reported, prior-art, material-based mechanical energy harvesters. In addition, we demonstrate an inexpensive mandrel-free method for making polymer muscles that can have a spring index of higher than 50 and a contractile tensile stroke exceeding 97%, and their application in textiles for commercialized comfort adjusting jackets. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Nanotechnology, Energy Conversion and Storage, Mechanical Properties |