Optothermally pulsating microbubble-mediated micro-energy harvesting in underwater medium

Area of Science:

• Energy Harvesting
• Microfluidics
• Optothermics

Background:

• Power management is critical for pervasive wireless sensing systems, requiring self-reliant and portable solutions.
• Current energy harvesting methods face limitations in enabling fully autonomous wireless sensing operations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel energy harvesting strategy utilizing optothermally pulsating microbubbles.
• To explore the conversion of light energy into electrical power for wireless devices via microbubble-induced vibrations.

Main Methods:

• An optothermally pulsating microbubble was submerged in an aqueous medium.
• Pulsating microbubbles generated periodic vibrations in contact piezocantilevers.
• Laser intensity and frequency effects on bubble pulsation and electrical output were investigated.

Main Results:

• Mechanical power was extracted from light energy through microbubble pulsations.
• Electrical power was generated by piezocantilevers vibrating due to microbubbles.
• The study established the dependence of electrical output on laser parameters, cantilever wetting, and resistance.

Conclusions:

• The proposed optothermal microbubble strategy offers a new framework for energy harvesting.
• This method provides a pathway for developing bubble-based microactuators for energy harvesting and microsensing applications.