Scientist from South Korea have a found a way to harness power from a flushing toilet to generate electricity. Technically the application can be extended from toilet flushes to rainwater, ocean waves, river currents, even to a drop of water. However, it sounds way cooler when we say that the mechanical energy from flowing water in your toilet bowl can potentially power your home.
The researchers exploring new ways to tap into hydroelectricity figured that taking advantage of a property in dieletric materials could help in producing an electric charge, when put into water. Scientists from Seoul National University and Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI) adapted a transducer to convert the mechanical energy from water motion into electrical energy.
In the video above, we get to see the various situations in which the movement of water is used to power a green LED light. Perhaps the most fascinating part is when a single droplet of water powers the light. According to Youn Sang Kim and his team at Seoul National University and KETI, an electrical double layer forms around the dielectric materials when it is in water. The variation between the water and a poly dielectric layer induces the electric charges at an electrode.
The team hopes that their research work can be implemented in everyday life. One can only image the amount of savings on electricity bills! Since the electrodes are flexible and transparent, it can be coated on windows, roofs and toilet bowls. Essentially, the raindrops and water flow will be used to harness the electricity.