Is This Accidental Discovery The Future Of Energy?

Summary

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have accidentally discovered a method to convert humidity into electricity, termed hygroelectrical power. This innovation could potentially transform the way we generate renewable energy. A company, CascataChuva, is already working towards commercializing a variant of this technology by 2024. The process involves nanostructures that produce an electrical charge when water molecules interact with them. Although the technology is still in its early stages and faces several challenges, it holds promise as an accessible and clean energy source, with potential applications ranging from powering homes to charging personal devices.

Takeaways

• 🔋 Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have discovered a way to convert humidity into electricity, termed as 'hygroelectrical power'.
• 🌐 A company named CascataChuva is attempting to commercialize a variant of this technology, aiming for a pilot launch in 2024.
• 🔬 The discovery was accidental, stemming from an experiment to create an air humidity sensor using nanostructures.
• 🤔 The exact science behind the conversion of humidity to electricity is complex and not fully understood, involving a process thought to be called 'deprotonation'.
• 🌡️ The nanostructures used are 100 nanometers thick, allowing water molecules to enter but not easily pass through, creating an electrical charge.
• 🌿 The team experimented with various materials and found that the size of the nanostructures is more critical than the material for generating electricity.
• 💡 The current output of the device is minimal, producing about a single microwatt, but it's suggested that scaling up could increase its potential significantly.
• 🏠 CascataChuva claims that a washing-machine-sized cube of their humidity battery could generate enough power for a small household.
• 💰 The cost of the CascataChuva device is projected to be high initially, with a price range of €14,000 to 18,000 (approximately $15K to 19.5K USD).
• 🚧 There are significant challenges to overcome, including understanding the technology better, scaling up the nano-devices, and addressing maintenance and production issues.
• 🌱 If successful, air-gen devices could provide a new form of accessible, clean energy, especially useful for remote locations or during emergencies.

Q & A

What is the term used to describe the process of turning humidity into electricity?

The term used to describe the process of turning humidity into electricity is 'hygroelectrical power'.

Which university's research team discovered the method to convert air moisture into electricity?

Researchers from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst discovered the method to convert air moisture into electricity.

What was the initial purpose of the nanostructures created by Professor Jun Yao's team?

The initial purpose of the nanostructures created by Professor Jun Yao's team was to develop a novel air humidity sensor.

How did the accidental discovery of hygroelectrical power occur?

The accidental discovery occurred when a student working on the project forgot to plug in the sensor, yet it still produced an electrical signal.

What is the current output of the hygroelectrical power device developed by UMass Amherst?

The current output of the hygroelectrical power device is roughly a single microwatt, enough to power one pixel on an LED screen.

What is the name of the company attempting to commercialize a variant of the hygroelectrical power technology?

The company attempting to commercialize a variant of the hygroelectrical power technology is called CascataChuva.

What are the theoretical advantages of hygroelectrical power over other renewable energy sources?

Hygroelectrical power has theoretical advantages such as being more accessible for those without space for solar panels or living in areas with less sun, and the ability to be used indoors as long as there is enough humidity.

What is the estimated Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) for CascataChuva's humidity battery?

CascataChuva predicts that the initial Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) for their humidity battery will be quite high, ranging from €14,000 to 18,000 (approximately $15K to 19.5K USD).

What is the potential application of hygroelectrical power for small-scale devices?

Hygroelectrical power could potentially be used to charge small devices like phone batteries or laptops, and for wearables like FitBits or Airpods, offering a more fine-tuned power solution.

What are some of the challenges and concerns regarding the commercialization and scalability of hygroelectrical power technology?

Challenges include understanding the exact reaction taking place, the possibility of dust and other particles clogging nanopores, the cost and difficulty of mass production, and the unknown durability and lifetime of the technology.

Outlines

00:00

🔋 Hygroelectrical Power: Harnessing Humidity for Electricity

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have accidentally discovered a method to convert humidity into electricity, termed as hygroelectrical power. This innovation could potentially transform the way we generate clean energy. The accidental discovery was made by Professor Jun Yao and his team while developing a nanostructure-based air humidity sensor. The sensor produced an electrical signal without being plugged in, leading to the discovery that water molecules colliding with the nanostructures created an electrical charge through deprotonation. The team experimented with various materials and found that the size of the nanostructures was more critical than the material itself for generating electricity. Although the technology is still in its infancy, with the device currently producing only a microwatt, the potential to scale up and power more significant devices is promising. A Portuguese company, CascataChuva, is already planning to commercialize a variant of this technology by 2024, aiming to create a humidity battery capable of powering homes.

05:01

🌐 The Potential and Challenges of Hygroelectrical Power

The concept of hygroelectrical power has gained interest with researchers from Tsinghua University and the Beijing Institute of Technology also exploring its potential. The technology could offer a unique advantage over other renewable energy sources due to its accessibility and the ability to be used indoors. CascataChuva's plan to stack 20,000 of their devices to create a washing-machine-sized cube that could generate 10 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day is ambitious. However, the high initial cost, estimated between €14,000 to 18,000, and the need for further research and development pose significant challenges. The company's technology has not been peer-reviewed, and there are concerns about the longevity, scaling, and maintenance of the devices. Additionally, the potential impact of dust and other particles on the nanomaterials used in the devices needs to be addressed. Despite these challenges, if the technology can be successfully developed and scaled, it could become a valuable addition to the renewable energy sector.

10:02

🚧 The Road Ahead for Hygroelectrical Energy Technology

While the hygroelectrical energy technology holds promise, it is still in the early stages of development. There are numerous unknowns and challenges that need to be overcome before it can become a viable option for clean energy production. The exact reaction taking place within the nanostructures is not fully understood, which is crucial for scaling up the technology. Concerns about electron transfer and the potential for a limited current output could hinder its effectiveness. The lack of peer-review for CascataChuva's research adds a layer of skepticism. Furthermore, practical issues such as device longevity, cleaning and maintenance, and the sourcing and manufacturing of nanomaterials must be resolved. Despite these hurdles, the potential benefits of this technology are significant, offering another green energy solution. The field requires continued research, development, and possibly some lucky breaks to transition from a theoretical concept to a practical reality.

Keywords

💡Hygroelectrical Power

Hygroelectrical power refers to the process of generating electricity from humidity or moisture in the air. This concept is central to the video's theme, which discusses the accidental discovery by researchers at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, who found a way to convert atmospheric humidity into electricity. The term is used to describe the novel technology that could potentially revolutionize renewable energy sources by harnessing an omnipresent element like air moisture.

💡CascataChuva

CascataChuva is a Portuguese company mentioned in the script that is attempting to commercialize a variant of the hygroelectrical power technology. The company's efforts are significant to the video's narrative as they represent the practical application and commercial potential of the scientific discovery. Their goal to have a pilot version of the air-gen device by 2024 illustrates the script's focus on the real-world implications and future possibilities of this technology.

💡Nanostructures

Nanostructures are tiny structures that are on the scale of nanometers, which are a unit of measurement for extremely small sizes—hundreds of nanometers make up the thickness of a human hair. In the context of the video, nanostructures are integral to the hygroelectrical power technology because they allow water molecules to enter but not easily pass through, which is hypothesized to create an electrical charge through deprotonation. The script uses nanostructures as an example of the kind of materials that could be used to develop this new energy source.

💡Deprotonation

Deprotonation is a chemical process where a hydrogen ion (proton) is removed from a molecule. In the script, it is suggested that deprotonation might be the mechanism by which water molecules knocking against the edges of nanostructures create an electrical charge. This concept is crucial for understanding the hypothesized working principle behind the hygroelectrical power generation.

💡Solid-state Battery

A solid-state battery is a type of battery that uses solid electrodes and solid electrolytes. In the video script, the hygroelectrical power device is likened to a solid-state battery because it functions without moving parts and creates an electric imbalance similar to that of a battery. This comparison helps to illustrate the potential of the new technology to store and produce electricity in a stable and continuous manner.

💡Renewable Energy

Renewable energy refers to energy that is collected from resources that are naturally replenished, such as sunlight, wind, and water. The script discusses renewable energy as a compelling reason for the development of technologies like hygroelectrical power, which aims to provide clean and sustainable alternatives to traditional fossil fuels. The video's exploration of generating electricity from air highlights the ongoing race to innovate in the field of renewable energy.

💡Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE)

LCOE is an economic measure that compares the cost of producing electricity from different sources over their lifetimes. In the script, LCOE is used to discuss the potential cost-effectiveness of the hygroelectrical power technology developed by CascataChuva. It provides a framework for evaluating the financial viability of the new technology against other energy sources like solar panels.

💡Seebeck Effect

The Seebeck effect is a phenomenon where a voltage is generated when there is a temperature difference between two different types of metals. The script mentions the Seebeck effect as a possible analogy for the unknown reaction taking place in the hygroelectrical power device. It raises questions about the scalability and practicality of the technology, as many Seebeck-related technologies have faced challenges in application due to their complexity and cost.

💡Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS)

MEMS refers to microscopic devices that combine electrical and mechanical components on a small scale. In the context of the video, MEMS are mentioned as an example of how dust and other particles can negatively impact the performance of nanomaterials. The script uses MEMS to highlight the potential maintenance and durability challenges that could be faced with hygroelectrical power devices.

💡Surfshark

Surfshark is a VPN service provider that is mentioned as the sponsor of the video. While not directly related to the main theme of hygroelectrical power, the mention of Surfshark serves as an example of how the video is financially supported. The script discusses the benefits of using a VPN, such as blocking ads and trackers, and provides a promotional offer for the audience.

💡Peer-Reviewed

Peer-reviewed refers to the process where research is evaluated and critiqued by experts in the same field before it is published. In the script, the lack of peer-review for CascataChuva's technology is highlighted as a reason for skepticism. It emphasizes the importance of rigorous scientific scrutiny in validating the claims and effectiveness of new technologies, including the hygroelectrical power devices discussed in the video.

Highlights

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have discovered a method to convert humidity into electricity, termed as hygroelectrical power.

A company named CascataChuva is attempting to commercialize a variant of this technology.

The hygroelectrical power generation began as an accidental discovery during the development of an air humidity sensor.

The nanostructures used in the sensor are 100 nanometers thick, allowing water molecules to enter but not easily pass through, creating an electrical charge.

The electricity generation process is similar to a solid-state battery, with positively and negatively charged ends.

Various materials such as graphene oxide flakes, polymers, wooden nanofibres, and even protein nanowires grown from bacteria have been successfully tested.

The current device produces about a single microwatt, sufficient to power one pixel on an LED screen.

CascataChuva plans to commercialize their air-gen device with a pilot launch in 2024.

Hygroelectrical power has theoretical advantages over other renewables, such as being more accessible in areas with less sunlight or space constraints.

CascataChuva's device, once scaled up, is claimed to generate 10 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day, sufficient for a 150 square-meter household.

The initial cost of the humidity battery is projected to be high, with an estimated price of €14,000 to 18,000.

The technology could potentially allow energy independence in any part of the world with ample humid air.

Air-gen devices could be useful for powering portable and remote locations where powerline infrastructure is lacking.

Small-scale applications of the technology could include charging personal devices like smartphones or laptops almost anywhere.

The technology faces challenges such as understanding the exact reaction taking place, scaling up the nano-devices, and maintaining cleanliness of nanopores.

Despite the challenges, if successful, air-gen devices could become a powerful green energy tool.

Transcripts

Imagine getting the energy needed to power our phones, light up our homes, or drive our

cars, from thin air.

And no, we’re not talking about Nikola Tesla’s dream of wireless power a century ago, but

a new and accidentally electrifying discovery 

along those lines from the  University of Massachusetts

Amherst.

Researchers have found a way to turn humidity into electricity.

It’s called hygroelectrical power, and believe it or not, a company named CascataChuva is

already trying to commercialize a variant of the technology.

So, what is it and how does it work?

I’m Matt Ferrell … welcome to Undecided.

This video is brought to you by Surfshark, but more on that later.

We all know that there’s a race to generate clean electricity in a renewable fashion.

There’s a lot of compelling reasons for why, from limiting climate change, to saving

money, to energy independence.

It’s why getting solar panels for your home is so compelling.

It’s also why this news about generating electricity from the air caught my attention

and got me interested in exploring it.

A team from the University of Massachusetts Amherst looks like they’ve discovered a

way to convert moisture in the air from all around us into electricity, turning humidity

into a battery of sorts.

And funnily enough, like so many keystone inventions over the years, it started as an

accident.

It’s also a bit of a mystery as to why it’s actually working the way it does, but I’ll

get into that in a bit.

Let’s start from the beginning, at UMass Amherst…

The story begins with Professor Jun Yao and his researchers, who were trying to create

a novel air humidity sensor using an array of nanostructures.

The student working on the project forgot to plug it in, and yet, the sensor produced

an electrical signal.

Puzzled by the frankly spooky phenomena, Yao and co.

investigated, and they discovered an interesting reaction occuring.

The science we’re about to talk about is complex, and not even Yao or other scientists

are totally sure what’s taking place here.

So keep in mind that what I’m about to describe isn’t just an oversimplification, but an

oversimplification of the researchers’ best guess as to what’s going on.

Still with me?

Okay, the nanostructures on the UMass sensor are 100 nanometers thick, which is less than

one thousandth of the diameter of a human hair.

This makes them just wide enough for airborne water molecules to freely enter, but also

makes it difficult for them to pass all the way through.

Though the exact mechanism is not well understood, the researchers _think_ that every time the

water molecules knock against the tiny holes’ edges, it creates an electrical charge via

a process called deprotonation.

Because there’s more molecules moshing around in the easier to access top of the tube than

the bottom, we get an electric imbalance between the layered chambers and end up with positively

and negatively charged ends, just like battery.

With no moving parts, it functions a lot like a solid state battery.

Yao and his team then began to iterate, punching a bunch of 100-nanometer-or-less pores into

all sorts of stuff from graphene oxide flakes, to polymers and wooden nanofibres.

They even tried using bacteria to grow protein nanowires.

In the end, all of these attempts were successful, which is really exciting.

These results suggest that the size of the nanostructures matters more than what they’re

made of, which could well mean some team will find an even more potent material down the

line.

But that does beg the question: just how much electricity can this UMass Generic Air-Gen

Effect Device create?

Presently, not much.

The device produces roughly a single microwatt, which is just enough to power one pixel on

an LED screen.

But, the device is very small, just the size of a thumbnail, and one-fifth the width of

a human hair.

In theory, if we connect several of these 

devices together, or dozens or hundreds of  these things together, we could power something

much more substantial just by borrowing a little moisture from the air, which is pretty

amazing.

And that premise is what a Portuguese company called CascataChuva is based on, promising

to commercialize their version of the air gen device with a pilot in 2024.

But there’s a whole lot of giant question marks there.

Before we get into the  details of commercialization, 

it’s important to note how hygroelectrical

power has theoretical advantages over other renewables.

I mean, have you ever tried to fit a wind turbine or hydroelectric dam next to your

garage?

Jokes aside, if you’re somewhere that doesn’t get a lot of sun, or if you live in an apartment

and don’t have enough space, or if you rent and your landlord is against it, solar panels

might not be accessible to you.

But if things go right for CascataChuva (and that’s a big if), the company claims you

can take home a decently-powerful humidity battery about the size of a washing machine,

something most people can easily find room for.

And unlike all those other renewable energy sources, you can in fact use a humidity battery

inside your home, as long as the specific humidity is high enough.

The specific humidity, which is the meteorological property that governs how many water molecules

are in the air, will vary independently of daytime cycles.

At least some of the time, there will be plenty of specific humidity when the wind isn’t

blowing and the sun isn’t shining.

This makes it a good potential teammate for more common, yet intermittent renewables like

wind and solar.

And though this tech might sound too good to be true (again … it’s early days here),

it isn’t a one-off discovery.

Researchers from Tsinghua  University are experimenting 

with hygroelectric films that can generate

almost 1.5 volts., and researchers from the Beijing Institute of Technology are experimenting

with hygroelectric-powered wearables.

So though we may not totally understand what’s going on, we’re making enough headway in

the field to conclude that something _is_ happening here, and that’s what got me excited

about this.

We’re seeing some interesting steps forward on a new potential technology.

But what about the costs?

Before we get to the costs and other challenges, there’s something else that doesn’t cost

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Back to costs.

While we still don’t fully understand the mechanics at play in an air gen device, the

outlook is positive enough that CascataChuva is reportedly close to commercializing their

own humidity battery.

Their device, which is just 4 centimeters (1.5 inches) wide, can currently power an

LED light.

The plan, according to cofounder and CEO Andriy Lyubchyk ahn-dree lube-chick who has

been working on this since 2015, is to stack 20,000 of the devices together by 2024.

The company says that once combined like this into a washing-machine-sized cube, the humidity

battery can passively generate 10 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day.

That’s a bold claim.

Per CascataChuva’s calculations, that should cover the energy use of a 150 square-meter

household, not counting charging an electric car.

If true, that’s pretty impressive.

And of course, power comes at a price, and these novel humidity batteries are not cheap.

CascataChuva is predicting that the device’s Levelized Cost of Energy (or LCOE, a way to

compare the effectiveness of energy generators across their lifetimes) will be quite high

initially.

Consumers would hypothetically be paying €14,000 to 18,000 (that’s between 15K to 19.5K in

USD).

Remember that there’s a lot of factors to consider when comparing means of generating

electricity.

But, using the U.S. as an example, you can get a 10KW solar panel system installed for

around $20,498 on average, counting federal rebates and tax credits.

So, _if_ all goes to plan, the price point is pretty comparable.

Assuming the technology works and takes off, then standardization and mass production could

bring those costs down over time.

You might be wondering why we should pay attention to this tech even though it’s still in its

infancy.

Well, with its unique properties, an air-gen device could be the most accessible form of

clean energy yet.

The more viable methods of producing electricity at home, the better.

After all, solar panels are great.

I love mine, and I love that they lower my energy bills, and I think everyone who can

use them absolutely should.

But not everyone has the resources to do so, and this is a potential alternative to get

in on some of those benefits.

Hypothetically speaking, air-gen devices could allow you to become energy independent in

any part of the world where you find ample humid air.

This could be really useful for powering portable 

and remote locations where  powerline infrastructure

can’t reach, or providing emergency power during outages or disasters.

Of course, scaling up nano-devices is notoriously difficult, but humidity batteries still have

some applications even if circumstances force them to remain small.

Imagine being able to charge your phone batteries, or laptop, almost anywhere.

And the minuteness of the power generated may actually be beneficial on this smaller

scale.

That’s because the mechanics of battery chemistry force us to make certain voltage

steps (1.5 V, 3.3 V, etc), meaning that some devices must include resistors to divide the

voltage.

In the end, that means you lose some of the energy as heat.

But using teeny batteries with a hygroelectrical chemistry setup may allow us to fine-tune

our power needs.

If you think about it, there are a _lot_ of low-power devices and batteries that we end

up tossing because the repetitive charge cycles wear them out so quickly.

Small wearable stuff like FitBits or Airpods must be recharged, but could perhaps partially

run on humidity instead.

Plus, battery chemistry is often corrosive or volatile.

If air-gen devices prove durable, we could have long-lasting, recharge-anywhere, acid-free

batteries.

Of course, that’s a very, very, very big if.

I don’t want us to get too carried away by all the cool stuff we _might_ be able to

do with humidity batteries.

So let’s talk about the challenges — there’s a considerable number of them.

The biggest hurdle here is that we still have a lot to learn.

This is a new technology, and while the research surrounding it so far is fairly reputable,

there’s still a lot of “unknown-unknowns.”

As I mentioned earlier, no one, not even Yao and the research team, are totally sure what

kind of reaction is taking place here.

This might be even more important than you think.

If the water molecule moshing is truly what generates a charge, it has to mean there’s

an electron transfer.

By the time we’re dealing with individual electrons and molecules, we might just be

transferring the same few electrons between tube and molecule, which will drastically

limit our ability to meaningfully scale up the technology.

And if it works like the Seebeck effect — i.e. two different metals in contact will produce

a small voltage — then it’s likely it won’t produce enough of a current to be

useful, and create a corrosive environment to boot.

Many Seebeck-related breakthroughs look really good on paper, but they’re expensive components

and complex construction has drastically limited their applications so far.

And while Yao has fully published his team’s findings, at the time of making this video,

CascataChuva hasn’t.

For proprietary reasons their tech hasn’t been peer-reviewed, which should rightly make

you skeptical.

Furthermore, CascataChuva’s previous  research has been mainly computational.

As we know all too well, what works in theory or in cyberspace doesn’t always translate

to meatspace.

But they have been working on this for almost a decade.

I’ll be more confident once their prototype comes out and has passed some third-party

inspections.

The flipside of “unknown-unknowns” is “known-unknowns,” and there are a lot

of those too.

How long can this technology last?

Can it be successfully scaled up?

What’s their lifetime and LCOE?

Peter Dobson, an Oxford University professor emeritus of engineering science, is optimistic

about both air gen devices, but warns about the dangers of other particles getting lodged

in the nanomaterials.

There are many examples of so-called superpowered nanomaterials that have been laid low by little

ol’ specks of dust.

Dust can break the micro electro-mechanical system sensors in your phone, for example,

and solar panels can also struggle when dusty (granted, it takes a fair amount of dust and

dirt, … but it happens).

How do you stop dirt, pollen and other schmutz from clogging the device’s nanopores?

How do we clean and maintain them?

We don’t exactly have skincare routines for batteries.

There’s also concerns about mass production.

Sourcing the material needed for nanopores could be challenging, and manufacturing them

isn’t cheap or easy yet.

In short, we have a lot to learn before we can get serious about commercialization.

That doesn’t mean these  challenges are insurmountable.

We’ve seen lucky breaks, sufficient R&D, mass production, and standardization help

similar pieces of technology go from sci-fi to blase

But that also doesn't mean it’s a sure thing.

This is still very new technology, so I want to avoid overhyping it.

However, the larger implications of drawing electricity from the air are promising.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

But if air-gen works, it will be another powerful green energy tool in our belt.

All ‘cos a student forgot the plug.

Do you think this sounds like a promising line of research?

And if there’s any of you out there that work in a similar area of research and  

have knowledge on it, please share it with the  rest of us so we can all learn in the comments

And be sure to check out my follow up podcast Still TBD where we'll be discussing some of

your feedback.

Thanks to all of my patrons, who get ad free versions of every video.

Your support really helps make these videos possible.

I’ll see you in the next one.