materials-summit-separation-summit-2018-tracks

3 / 11

Page 19
O c t o b e r 1 9 - 2 0 , 2 0 1 8 | T o k y o , J a p a n
Materials Summit 2018 & Separation Summit 2018 Materials Science and Nanotechnology | Volume 2
ADVANCED MATERIALS AND POLYMER SCIENCE
SEPARATION TECHNIQUES
&
International Conference on
International Conference and Expo on
Joint Event on
OF EXCELLENCE
IN INTERNATIONAL
MEETINGS
YEARS
Takeshita M et al., Mater Sci Nanotechnol 2018, Volume 2
DE WAVE POWER GENERATORS
Takeshita M1, Waki M2, Chiba S3, Uejima M1, Arakawa K 1,
Ueno M1 and Fujita K4
1Zeon Corporation, Japan
2Wits Inc., Japan
3Chiba Science Institute, Japan
4Tohoku University, Japan
Increase in world population and the accompanying surge in demand for
energy, food andwater, aswell as the sudden increase in energy consumption
caused by recent industrial development and betterment of life standards in
newly developing countrieswill accelerate global warming. Among the diverse
measures proposed to meet our energy needs, the use of renewable energy
is receiving increasing attention. Especially, the wave power generation has
attracted attention as one of useful utilization methods for ocean energy.
However, the conventional wave generators are large, expensive, and unable
to efficiently generate electric power with small amplitudewaves, limiting their
widespread usage. To solve these problems, we will discuss the possibilities
for a wave power generator using dielectric elastomer (DE) artificial muscle
recently developed as a novel method for harvesting renewable energy. DE
artificial muscle is a new smart material technology with characteristics and
properties not seen in other materials. The basic element of DEs is a very
simple structure comprised of thin polymer films (elastomers) sandwiched
by two electrodes made of a stretchable material. DEs can operate as an
electrically-powered actuator. When a voltage difference is applied between
the electrodes, they are attracted to each other by electrostatic forces leading
to a thickness-wise contraction and plane-wise expansion of the elastomer.
The use of DE actuator in the reverse mode, in which deformation of the
elastomer by external mechanical work is used to generate electrical energy,
has been gaining more attention. As DE is very light, inexpensive, and easily
formed into multiple layered structures, it can make a very simple and robust
direct drive wave power system that is economically viable. DE has moved
now from the research and development stage to the commercial domain
with research and development on practical applications, and furthermore to
the mass production stage.
Takeshita M has completed his graduation from the
Tokyo Institute of Technology Interdisciplinary Gradu-
ate School of Science and Engineering in 2003 with a
master’s degree in Engineering studies. He is currently
a Senior Researcher at the CNT Laboratory Materials
Research Team, Research and Development Center,
Zeon Corporation. He wrote many papers related to
CNTs.
BIOGRAPHY
Figure.1: Operating principle of dielectric
elastomer power generation; the DEG is basically
a stretchable capacitor. If a charge is applied to
the DEG in the stretched state, then work done
by the contracting elastomer is converted into
electrical energy (as illustrated by the voltage
across the resistor in the right illustration).