VOA常速英语2008年-Scientists Make Fabric That Generates Electrici

By Jessica Berman
Washington
13 February 2008

Scientists in the United States say they have developed fabrics² that can generate electricity.  Researchers say they have harvested enough electricity to power small electronic devices such as an mp3 player, and they say the work has potential military and aerospace³ applications.  VOA's Jessica Berman has more.

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are making energy-scavenging cloth, which has the potential to convert low-frequency vibrations⁴ into electricity.

The so-called nano-generator fabric¹ contains microscopic⁵, conductive wires woven into the material. 

The cloth, which can be used to make shirts, curtains and canvas, creates small electrical charges with the slightest movement.  The charges can be harvested into useable energy, according to materials-scientist Zhong Lin Wang.

"This particular work is about how do we develop a new methodology, new technology, that can harness from wind blowing, your body movement, this kind of mechanical, low frequency energy," he said.

Wang and the research team built a microfiber-nanowire system that they describe in the journal Nature. 

The system involves weaving nanowires grown from zinc⁶ oxide⁷ crystals, which are about one-thousandth of a hair width each, in an out of the fibers⁸ of the fabric.  Wang says the nanostructure inside the cloth looks like the bristles⁹ of two baby bottle brushes.

He says electricity is generated when the wires rub together with even the most miniscule motion, potentially harvesting energy from such mundane¹⁰ disturbances¹¹ as heartbeats and footsteps.

"Each wire generates a small [amount of] energy.  We have millions of billions of this one [wires].  When they add up, they can be appreciably¹² large," he noted¹³.

Wang says the nanogenerator can put out 80 milliwatts per square meter of fabric, enough to power small electronic devices such as an mp3 player. 

But he envisions bigger and broader applications for the microfiber-nanowire system, including powering communication devices for soldiers in remote areas and pressure sensing devices on the outside of aircraft.

"The other application can be, for example, if you have a tent and when the wind blows, and then the tent can generate electricity and then you could possibly power some of these small devices," he added.

In addition to figuring out how to scale up their effort, Wang and colleagues have another big challenge to iron out, how to launder¹⁴ nano fabrics.  It turns out that zinc oxide shirts do not do well when exposed to water.

1 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

2 fabrics   

织物( fabric的名词复数 )； 布； 构造； （建筑物的）结构（如墙、地面、屋顶）：质地

参考例句：

• cotton fabrics and synthetics 棉织物与合成织物
• The fabrics are merchandised through a network of dealers. 通过经销网点销售纺织品。

3 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

4 vibrations   

n.摆动( vibration的名词复数 )；震动；感受；（偏离平衡位置的）一次性往复振动

参考例句：

• We could feel the vibrations from the trucks passing outside. 我们可以感到外面卡车经过时的颤动。
• I am drawn to that girl; I get good vibrations from her. 我被那女孩吸引住了，她使我产生良好的感觉。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 microscopic   

adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的

参考例句：

• It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
• A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。

6 zinc   

n.锌；vt.在...上镀锌

参考例句：

• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
• Zinc is used to protect other metals from corrosion.锌被用来保护其他金属不受腐蚀。

7 oxide   

n.氧化物

参考例句：

• Oxide is usually seen in our daily life.在我们的日常生活中氧化物很常见。
• How can you get rid of this oxide coating?你们该怎样除去这些氧化皮？

8 fibers   

光纤( fiber的名词复数 )； （织物的）质地； 纤维，纤维物质

参考例句：

• Thesolution of collagen-PVA was wet spined with the sodium sulfate as coagulant and collagen-PVA composite fibers were prepared. 在此基础上，以硫酸钠为凝固剂，对胶原-PVA共混溶液进行湿法纺丝，制备了胶原-PVA复合纤维。
• Sympathetic fibers are distributed to all regions of the heart. 交感神经纤维分布于心脏的所有部分。

9 bristles   

短而硬的毛发，刷子毛( bristle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the bristles on his chin 他下巴上的胡楂子
• This job bristles with difficulties. 这项工作困难重重。

10 mundane   

adj.平凡的；尘世的；宇宙的

参考例句：

• I hope I can get an interesting job and not something mundane.我希望我可以得到的是一份有趣的工作，而不是一份平凡无奇的。
• I find it humorous sometimes that even the most mundane occurrences can have an impact on our awareness.我发现生活有时挺诙谐的，即使是最平凡的事情也能影响我们的感知。

11 disturbances   

n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍

参考例句：

• The government has set up a commission of inquiry into the disturbances at the prison. 政府成立了一个委员会来调查监狱骚乱事件。
• Extra police were called in to quell the disturbances. 已调集了增援警力来平定骚乱。

12 appreciably   

adv.相当大地

参考例句：

• The index adds appreciably to the usefulness of the book. 索引明显地增加了这本书的实用价值。
• Otherwise the daily mean is perturbed appreciably by the lunar constituents. 否则，日平均值就会明显地受到太阳分潮的干扰。

13 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

14 launder   

v.洗涤；洗黑钱（把来路可疑的钱弄得似乎合法）

参考例句：

• She wore a freshly laundered and starched white shirt.她穿一件刚刚浆洗熨烫过的白色衬衣。
• The gang launders the steal money through their chain of restaurants.这帮匪徒通过他们的连锁饭店洗赃款。