Over time, human beings have created innovative technologies to extract energy from natural sources. Renewable energies have seen great development and a sharp increase in installed power plants over the last 30 years. However, the energy demand is rapidly growing, and even though renewable energies cover 30% of the global energy production, there is a constant need for new technologies that can complement and support large energy sources.
Nowadays, third-world communities are the most vulnerable to energy scarcity and increasing energy prices, as the high cost of energy could make it only accessible to the richest countries. Additionally, low-income communities tend to have adjacent problems, such as poor communication and deficient infrastructure. The UN Global Crisis Response Group has recently called for support regarding the transition of these countries to new, cheaper, and renewable energy options. To meet this goal, it is necessary to increase funding for research and on-site implementation, facilitating the green energy transfer.
In this project, we explore the possibilities of harvesting green energy from the physics behind low-frequency vibrations, which can be turned into electricity using piezoelectric materials. These materials are very special: when they are bent, deformed, or pressed, they generate a voltage that can be used to power electronic devices. Additionally, energy can also be harvested from a process called electromagnetic induction, which is the generation of electric energy from a conductor moving across a magnetic field. Both techniques can be used to supply energy to low-consumption electronic devices, such as monitoring sensors.
The EVIBES team is currently designing and implementing energy harvester devices based on the piezoelectric and electromagnetic effects for community and industry applications, with the fundamental motivation of tackling climate change and the lack of alternative energy supplies in low-income communities. The project aims to help both industry and citizens, guiding them in the transition to green energies, to achieve more sustainable countries and cities.
The project is being executed by a whole consortium, with members from three different countries: Norway (SINTEF AS), Sweden (University of Uppsala), and Chile (Universidad de Chile). Additionally, for industry implementation, we count on the collaboration of Chilean mines and the Svelvik CO2 Field Lab, located in Norway. Finally, the community implementation will be done with the participation of the Camarones Municipality, which is located in Cuya, a small town in northern Chile.
This project is funded through the international call SDG Pilot Call, a collaboration between 11 funding agencies from Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America. The aim of the call is to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs through the implementation of results from ongoing or recently finalised research and innovation projects to advance knowledge-based achievement of the SDGs, from local to regional scale.
Mechanical vibrations are defined as periodic oscillations with respect to an equilibrium point. Several kinds of them, such as natural, anthropogenic, or industrial (mining, CCS) are daily registered. Vibrations produce energy, a well-known phenomenon largely described. E-VIBES project focuses on the development of prototype devices that harvest vibrational energy utilizing piezoelectric and/or electromagnetic effects, converting mechanical vibrations into electric energy. The harvesters will be tested in a low-income community in northern Chile and at industrial levels, tackling energy decarbonization with universal access, and particularly SDG 7 -affordable and clean energy-, 11 -sustainable cities and communities -, and 13 -climate action-. The project will be executed by consortium members from three different countries, Norway (SINTEF AS), Sweden (University of Uppsala), and Chile (Universidad de Chile). Additionally, for industry implementation, we count on the collaboration of CODELCO Chile and the Svelvik CO2 Field Lab, Norway. Finally, the community implementation will be done with the participation of the Camarones Municipality, Chile.
This project is funded through the international call SDG Pilot Call, a collaboration between 11 funding agencies from Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin-America. The aim of the call is to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs, through the implementation of results from ongoing or recently finalised research and innovation projects to advance knowledge-based achievement of the SDGs, from local to regional scale.
