Title: Brownian motion of magnetic nanoparticles as a source of energy?

Authors: Josef Poláček; Petr Alexa

Addresses: Institute of Physics and Institute of Clean Technologies, VŠB – Technical University Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15, CZ-708 33, Ostrava, Czech Republic ' Institute of Physics and Institute of Clean Technologies, VŠB – Technical University Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15, CZ-708 33, Ostrava, Czech Republic

Abstract: Brownian motion of magnetic nanoparticles in a low-density gas can induce random voltage pulses in a microscopic electric circuit containing a high-number-of-turns coil and a classical diode rectifier. The amplitude of the voltage pulses is estimated and the rectification condition examined. We have shown that in our toy-model nanogenerator where the motion of the magnetic nanoparticle is restricted to one-dimensional rotation around its vertical axis and the nanoparticle is inserted into a very low number-density gas (3 × 1016 m-3) one can generate voltage pulses of the amplitude of 3 × 10-8 V in one coil turn. The total number of 106 turns is then necessary to reach the rectifying region.

Keywords: Brownian motion; magnetic nanoparticles; electromagnetic induction; diode rectifier; nanotechnology; nanogenerators; energy sources; voltage pulses.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2013.058568

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2013 Vol.10 No.12, pp.1109 - 1114

Published online: 07 Jan 2014 *

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