title: Piezo-Electrochemical Energy Harvesting with Lithium-Intercalating Carbon Fibers.
abstract: The mechanical and electrochemical properties are coupled through a piezo-electrochemical effect in Li-intercalated carbon fibers. It is demonstrated that this piezo-electrochemical effect makes it possible to harvest electrical energy from mechanical work. Continuous polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fibers that can work both as electrodes for Li-ion batteries and structural reinforcement for composites materials are used in this study. Applying a tensile force to carbon fiber bundles used as Li-intercalating electrodes results in a response of the electrode potential of a few millivolts which allows, at low current densities, lithiation at higher electrode potential than delithiation. More electrical energy is thereby released from the cell at discharge than provided at charge, harvesting energy from the mechanical work of the applied force. The measured harvested specific electrical power is in the order of 1 μW/g for current densities in the order of 1 mA/g, but this has a potential of being increased significantly.
authors.affiliation: †Department of Aeronautical and Vehicle Engineering, School of Engineering Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jacques
authors.affiliation: ‡Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lindbergh
authors.affiliation: †Department of Aeronautical and Vehicle Engineering, School of Engineering Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zenkert
authors.affiliation: ‡Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden.|§Swerea SICOMP AB, Box 104, SE-431 22 Mölndal, Sweden.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leijonmarck
authors.affiliation: ‡Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria Hellqvist
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kjell
keywords: carbon fibers; electrochemistry; energy harvesting; lithium-ion intercalation; mechanical energy; piezo-electrochemical