Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Power Generating clothes



Power generating clothes should be an answer to the recharging problems for electronic gadget freaks. Out on the street, just when you are about to make an important call the battery of your cell runs out. This is one of the most annoying situations we face at least once every week. How we wish for an extra battery or a charger get could get hold of. Think out of the box think clothes that could add some juice to your i.pod’s or cell phone’s battery.
European and American scientists are working on such projects; tiny folding solar cells are being developed by EU research and development called H-Alpha Solar (H-AS). A pliable folding panel can be sewed on the outer side of the clothes with maximum sunlight expose, such as shoulders and back of a jacket. These slightly thicker then a photographic film solar cells will be attached to a circuit which should be able to convert this variable energy into consistent one. One should be able to just stand or move in sunlight or stand in front of photovoltaic light to charge a gadget attached to these power generating clothes.
Studio 5050 of TX USA has developed a white tiled frock each tile hides a solar cell capable of producing energy, the dress is made out of 448 such tiles, these tiles also accommodate RGB-LED’S, jumper circuits and 0 OHM resistors. The solar cells power the power generating dress whiles the tiles are attached with each other with metallic rings, making this power generating dress quite chic and sexy. Power is transferred through a control board. This power generating dress with little alteration can be turned into a serious wearable technology.
Although power generating clothes are more fun and experiment at the moment but with further development in power generating clothes and wearable, they can be put to medical use as well, specially in case of old people and young children these power generating clothes can create energy which can then be used as heat energy to protect them from cold and keeping them warm. This can also help in keeping cardiac batteries charged up.
A Swedish and Dutch-owned company Akzo-Nobel, a partner in the H-AS research, already has a pilot plant producing rolls of silicon cells 40 centimeters wide. If the company decides to continue the project a full-scale manufacturing plant could produce panels at a cost of about 1 euro ($1.34) per watt.Scientists have also developed a way to produce electrical energy by jostling fabric with tiny wires woven inside, raising the prospect of textiles that produce power simply by being stretched, rustled or ruffled by a breeze.
Thus power generating clothes should not only produce renewable energy through solar energy but also kinetic and wind energy. So next time you plan on purchasing an extra battery think again as you might find a jumper to do the job for you.

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