Walk while you charge_生活Life
have you ever been frustrated (沮丧的) when left talking to yourself after your mobile phone battery runs out in the middle of a call?
if yes, then here comes some good news. scientists are now perfecting a way to recharge (充电) electrical equipment while on the move.
researchers from the netherlands, france and portugal announced last week that they have developed very thin solar panels (太阳能板) that can be put on clothes. they can also be added to furniture and rooftops. they change light from the sun into electricity.
in about three years, you’ll be able to wear a jacket that will recharge your phone as you walk. for camping fans, the development could lead to a tent which charges batteries all day so you can have light or music at night.
the basic technology of wearable solar panels is the same as that used for conventional (传统的) solar panels. pairs of sheets of semi-conducting silicon (半导体硅) are linked together to form the panel.
but scientists made them much thinner by using different silicon. at one micro-metre, they are the same thickness as photographic film.
"this technology will make it easier for people to use clean energy sources," said gerrit kroesen, a physicist in the netherlands who led the team of scientists.
but the thin panels are not as efficient as the thicker ones. while some solar panels now operate at an efficiency of about 20 per cent, the new flexible (柔韧的) panels are only 7 per cent efficient. but the scientists believe that this is worth accepting for a stronger and more useful panel.
but the thinner panel is cheaper. an a4 sized panel put onto the back of a jacket costs less than us$13. it could charge a cellphone during a summer walk in the countryside. as long as you stay within range of the transmitting masts (发射天线) that relay a call to the networks, phones will never again run out of power.
if yes, then here comes some good news. scientists are now perfecting a way to recharge (充电) electrical equipment while on the move.
researchers from the netherlands, france and portugal announced last week that they have developed very thin solar panels (太阳能板) that can be put on clothes. they can also be added to furniture and rooftops. they change light from the sun into electricity.
in about three years, you’ll be able to wear a jacket that will recharge your phone as you walk. for camping fans, the development could lead to a tent which charges batteries all day so you can have light or music at night.
the basic technology of wearable solar panels is the same as that used for conventional (传统的) solar panels. pairs of sheets of semi-conducting silicon (半导体硅) are linked together to form the panel.
but scientists made them much thinner by using different silicon. at one micro-metre, they are the same thickness as photographic film.
"this technology will make it easier for people to use clean energy sources," said gerrit kroesen, a physicist in the netherlands who led the team of scientists.
but the thin panels are not as efficient as the thicker ones. while some solar panels now operate at an efficiency of about 20 per cent, the new flexible (柔韧的) panels are only 7 per cent efficient. but the scientists believe that this is worth accepting for a stronger and more useful panel.
but the thinner panel is cheaper. an a4 sized panel put onto the back of a jacket costs less than us$13. it could charge a cellphone during a summer walk in the countryside. as long as you stay within range of the transmitting masts (发射天线) that relay a call to the networks, phones will never again run out of power.