The invention relates to an electrostatic microgenerator having two polymer electret films which are arranged above one another in a double layer, as well as a pushbutton with an electrostatic microgenerator of this kind, as well as a manufacturing method thereof and a method for generating electrical energy.
US 2004/0113526 A1 describes an electromechanical transducer with a multilayer structure which is capable of changing the thickness. Air can flow both in and out of the transducer element in the direction of the thickness of the transducer element. Air-permeable materials such as a permeable metal layer and a permeable material layer are used for this purpose. The material layer is permanently charged with an electrical charge.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrostatic microgenerator, a pushbutton, a method for producing the same electrostatic microgenerator, and a method for generating electrical energy, which ensure stable conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy.
According to the invention, the object is achieved by the subject of claims 1, 13, 14, and 15. Advantageous refinements emerge from the dependent claims.
A concept of the invention is to allow a fluid, in particular air, as an insulating medium to flow in and out parallel to a target pressure surface and parallel to spaced-apart capacitor plates, in which concept the distance between the capacitor plates is varied in order to generate electrical energy, therefore a tappable voltage. The fluid can be gaseous and thus compressible or liquid and thus not compressible. Both embodiments have advantages for the specific application. For this purpose, the electrostatic microgenerator has two polymer electret films, which are arranged above one another in a double layer and each has a metal layer arranged on one side thereof, as an electrode, wherein the metal layers each form capacitor plates and at least one fluid chamber variable in height between the capacitor plates, wherein a fluid in the at least one fluid chamber serves as an insulating medium, the electret films are embedded in a casing hermetically sealed for the fluid, and the electret films are wound in a planar and loose manner and are arranged in the hermetically sealed casing with a defined volume of fluid, wherein at least one compensation chamber for the fluid is provided in the casing, the fluid can be expelled from the at least one fluid chamber into at least one compensation chamber of the casing by applying pressure to a first target pressure surface, which is provided on the outside on the casing parallel to the capacitor plates, and a voltage can be generated by changing the distance between the capacitor plates, and the fluid, in particular air, and in particular exclusively, can be reintroduced and returned by applying pressure to a second target pressure surface, substantially in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the pressure application, from the at least one compensation chamber in the casing in a direction parallel to the arrangement of the capacitor plates into the at least one fluid chamber in order to widen the distance between them. Due to this specific construction, an interplay between introducing the fluid from the at least one compensation chamber into emptied fluid chambers and expelling the fluid from the fluid chambers arranged between the capacitor plates is simplified and efficient. Depending on the application, the internal volume of the casing cannot be reduced in the case of a liquid fluid and, in contrast, can preferably be reduced in the case of a gaseous fluid. It would also be possible to build up such a pressure, so that a phase change from the gaseous fluid to a liquid fluid takes place.
Because the fluid is limited in its volume as defined by the hermetically sealing casing, the casing is a highly effective means for efficiently utilizing a pressure force applied thereto and acting thereon for transformation into electrical energy. It is therefore provided to apply alternately a compressive force at two places on the casing in order to effect flow of the fluid in the one direction and the opposite direction. In this case, the casing is filled with only about half of the maximum possible fillable fluid in order to provide a compensation chamber for the second half.
In a first state, the fluid is filled in fluid chambers between capacitor plates and the casing on an opposite side is emptied accordingly. The casing is inflated on the opposite side, in particular opposite to the electret film, when a compressive force acts on the casing and the underlying electret film winding. The wound electret film with its metal electrodes is thus pressed against the fluid chambers. In order to again bring about the original state with filled fluid chambers between the capacitor plates, the section of the casing with the second target pressure surface with an underlying compensation chamber for the fluid, which chamber, depending on the embodiment, has one or no electret film, is then subjected to a compressive force so that the fluid, in particular air, flows between the capacitor plates and refills the fluid chambers.
An “electret film” is understood to be a film that is permanently electrostatically polarized. The electret film preferably has a thickness of 1 μm to about 100 μm, more preferably about 20 μm to about 50 μm. Thus, a stable electrostatic microgenerator is produced with a stable conversion of mechanical to electrical energy. The electrostatic microgenerator is constructed in a simplified manner so that it can be produced cost-effectively and wide application is possible.
In order to significantly increase the efficiency, the electret films, when viewed in cross section, to form a plurality of film capacitors in series with a variable distance between the capacitor plates, are wound in a planar manner to form a film winding, wherein in each case the sides of the electret film of the same polarity are arranged toward one another and the capacitor plates as electrodes of the same polarity are connected together to form a line. Thus, a significantly higher voltage is generated depending on the number of the series-connected film capacitors.
In a further preferred embodiment, it has been found to be advantageous that the metal layer, arranged on the electret film, and in particular the electret film are made substantially impermeable to the fluid, in particular to air. As a result, the efficiency is increased further, and due to the simple structure, an efficient production can be realized in a more feasible manner for an economical implementation.
According to an embodiment refining the invention and in order to further simplify the manufacturing process and to produce a high efficiency of the electrostatic microgenerator, the metal layer is arranged as a separate metal film on the polymer electret film. The efficiency is thus not impaired by a perforation of the electret film and/or the metal layer. According to an alternative preferred embodiment, the metal layer is formed as a metallization on the polymer electret film in a special production process.
According to a further particularly preferred embodiment, in order to produce the highest possible efficiency and to simplify the manufacturing process as well as the structure of the microgenerator, the electret film has the metal layer in a completely covering manner on the one side of the electret film.
According to an alternative preferred embodiment, the electret film has the metal layer substantially centrally on the one side with parallel free edge strips without a metal layer. The free parallel edge strips are preferably used further for elastic spacers, which are arranged between two layers of the electret film, in each case on the two free edge strips without a metal layer. This ensures that a space with fluid chambers is created for the fluid, in particular air, which space is compressible and, by virtue of the counterpressure of the fluid, again takes up its original space with the maximum large fluid chambers.
According to an alternative embodiment, the metal layer is formed on the electret film on one side on parallel edge strips with a free central strip without a metal layer.
According to an embodiment refining the invention, the electret films, arranged in a double layer, are arranged on one side in the casing and the at least one compensation chamber is arranged on an opposite side in the casing. Thus, simple windings of electret films with capacitor plates as electrodes can be produced.
According to an alternative embodiment, the electrostatic microgenerator comprises electret films, arranged in a double layer, with fluid chambers disposed therebetween as a mutually formed compensation chamber, in each case above the first and second target pressure surfaces. A compact microgenerator is provided in this way. In both embodiments, one casing is therefore provided as a double pocket, which is created by the two target pressure surfaces.
For this purpose, elastic spacers are arranged further preferably centrally between two layers of the electret film on the free central strip without a metal layer. This embodiment is an alternative embodiment to the above-described embodiment, which ensures that an original state is restored from an operating state with compressed electrode plates. In addition, the electrodes connected in series can be pressed together mutually, therefore alternately, with respect to the free central strip, so that the opposing capacitor plates are automatically brought apart by the inflow of the fluid. Thus, continuous energy generation is ensured, wherein the target pressure surfaces on the surface of the casing are alternately to be subjected to a compressive force.
According to an embodiment refining the invention, two target pressure surfaces are therefore arranged on the top side of the casing, which surfaces can be actuated alternately; in particular, a mechanism is provided which applies a compressive force alternately to both target pressure surfaces, proceeding from the action on a defined central button pressure surface.
It is preferred further that the electrostatic microgenerator has a spring mechanism, which counteracts a compression on the at least one target pressure surface and again brings apart capacitor plates, which were brought closer together, for electrical energy generation. This ensures that the electrostatic microgenerator time and again upon pressure steadily converts mechanical energy into electrical energy, namely, in both directions once when the capacitor plates are brought closer together and once when the capacitor plates are brought apart.
The object is also achieved by means of a pushbutton, with an above-described electrostatic microgenerator, wherein the pushbutton has a spring-loaded button element and a signal control for emitting an electronic signal upon actuation of the button element with the initiation of a pressure application to the target pressure surface of the microgenerator. A pushbutton of this kind has the advantage that mechanical energy is converted stably into electrical energy, it has a simple construction, and the pushbutton can be used both in a stationary and mobile manner, especially wherever a cabling effort is disadvantageous or complicated or undesirable.
In connection with a radio module, an autonomous pushbutton can thus be provided, which is independent of the limited energy storage capacity of a battery, by triggering and transmitting electrical signals when the button is actuated.
The object is also achieved by a method for producing an above-described electrostatic microgenerator with a polymer electret film by winding the electret film such that a fluid, in particular air, can flow in and out between layers of the electret film with electrodes as capacitor plates substantially perpendicular to the direction of the pressure application to a target pressure surface of the microgenerator and parallel thereto, and the wound electret film is hermetically sealed in a casing with a defined volume. In this case, preferably air as the gaseous fluid or dielectric oils as the liquid fluid can be enclosed in the casing with a defined volume, and the distance between the capacitor plates of the wound polymer electret film can be changed by varying the pressure applied to the casing. so that mechanical energy is converted stably and efficiently into electrical energy.
The object is also achieved by a method for generating electrical energy by means of an above-described electrostatic microgenerator in that a fluid, in particular air, as an insulating medium is expelled parallel to capacitor plates and perpendicular to a pressure application to a target pressure surface into a compensation chamber of a casing and, conversely, the fluid is introduced and returned to the fluid chamber from the storage space of the casing from the fluid chambers between capacitor plates to widen the distance between these parallel to the capacitor plates. By concentrating the flow direction parallel to the capacitor plates and perpendicular to the pressure direction, the stable conversion process from mechanical to electrical energy is produced. The method is simple in structure and can be realized cost-effectively.
It is understood that the features mentioned above and still to be explained below can be used not only in the particular combination indicated, but also in other combinations.
The invention will be explained in greater detail hereinbelow with the aid of exemplary embodiments with reference to drawings. In the drawing:
b-6b show schematic sectional views of
a, and 5b show a third embodiment of electrostatic microgenerator 1. In this particular embodiment, the metal layers are arranged parallel on both sides on the top side of an electret film 2, 22, a free strip 23, 24 without a metal layer being arranged centrally. This embodiment has two target pressure surfaces 81, 82, which are arranged in parallel above the metal layers. A target pressure surface is therefore also not provided at the center, where no metal layers are located.
a, and 6b show a further improved embodiment of
In step S20, the fluid is again introduced out of compensation chamber 20 from the casing and therefore returned to fluid chambers 5, 6 between capacitor plates 3, 4, parallel to the widening of the distance between these.
By the parallel introduction of fluid and conversely the expulsion, a very high efficiency is therefore achieved in a stable conversion process of mechanical to electrical energy. Thus, the electrostatic microgenerator can be produced much more simply and thus more cost-effectively, wherein a wide selection of materials is also possible. Any known electret material, such as, for example, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), etc., or in particular
polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), can be used as the film.
Although exemplary embodiments were explained in the present description, it should be pointed out that a large number of modifications are possible. In addition, it should be pointed out that the exemplary embodiments are merely examples that should not in any way restrict the scope of protection, the application, and the structure. Rather, a guide for the implementation of at least one exemplary embodiment is provided to the skilled artisan by the foregoing description, whereby various changes can be made, in particular with regard to the function and arrangement of the described components, without leaving the scope of protection, as it emerges from the claims and these equivalent feature combinations.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
92654 | Feb 2015 | LU | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/DE2016/100068 | 2/13/2016 | WO | 00 |