Title: Multi-pore Nanopore Resistive Pulse Sensing for Molecular Diagnostics with salt-gradient
Abstract: Resistive pulse sensing is the operating mechanism of classical Coulter counters, which relate the rate of microparticle translocation over a micropore to the particle concentration of a solution in contact with the pore. MicroRNA analytics with resistive pulse sensing is advantageous because as a single molecule technique it does not rely on amplification.In my work, an enhanced sensitivity of nanopore resistive pulse sensing of miRNA with bilayer embedded alpha-hemolysin is achieved with the introduce of multiple nano pores and steep salt concentration gradient.
Title: The application of Aluminium Nitride in Micro-Opto-electro-mechanical system
Abstract: Recent years have witnessed a series of development at Microelectromechanical systems(MEMS) as well as Micro-Opto-Mechanical Systems (MOMS). The MEMS have been widely commercially applied into every part of people’s daily life. For example, accelerometers, microphones, and micro-scale energy harvesting. On the other hand, coherent optical systems combined with micromechanical devices may enable development of ultra-sensitive force sensors and quantum information processing. Due to the great optical , electrical and mechanical characteritics of Aluminium Nitride, it is possible now to combine all the advantages of these systems. My research will be focused on using AlN to build various systems, such as optical modulator and even on-chip laser.
Title: Investigation of Textile-Based Triboelectric Energy Harvester
Abstract: Triboelectric energy harvesters or Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are one of the most promising candidates for powering wearable and portable devices. Textiles are a potential substrate onto, or into, which wearable technology is increasingly being incorporated but supplying power remains an enduring challenge. TENGs are a potential textile based energy harvesting power supply, which can transform kinetic energy occurring during frictional contact between two dissimilar materials into electricity based on the triboelectric effect and electrostatic induction. A significant challenge exists in the integration without losing the performance of the TENG or the original properties (appearance, breathability, washability, and durability) and feel of the textile. My research focuses on a novel design of textile-based TENG with alternate grated strips of positive and negative triboelectric material operating in freestanding triboelectric-layer mode. The TENG with 10 gratings of nylon and PTFE fabric delivers an average power density of 12.82 mW/m2.
Title: Water Droplet Impact Energy Harvesting with Lead-free Piezoelectric Structures
Abstract:
Harvesting energy from ambient sources using piezoelectric transducers is a topic which has seen a tremendous amount of interest from the scientific community, with research into lead-free piezoelectric materials seeing increased activity in recent times. The practicality of energy scavenging technology looks set to see continued relevance with decreasing power demands of electrical systems, such as Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN), allowing such technology to progressively act as an energy source to drive and sustain them independently. Furthermore, energy harvesting technology is likely to play both an exciting and critical role in the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) concept. This is particularly true in the case of remote/hard to access applications which require a power source – energy harvesting technologies such as piezoelectric materials offer a an opportunity to prolong, or even replace, battery powered applications, providing a solution which lowers servicing requirements.
In this research, the opportunities for utilising piezoelectric transducers for converting the kinetic impact energy of falling water droplets into useful electrical energy is investigated. It has been demonstrated that falling water droplets can impart forces of over a thousand times their resting weight upon impact with solid objects. Tropical countries such as Colombia, Papua New Guinea and Malaysia experience heavy rainfall throughout the year, with total annual rainfall amounts in the region of 3,000 mm. Such deluges of large droplets impart notable impact forces upon natural and man-made structures, representing an interesting opportunity for further investigation into potential uses of this energy, such as smart city sensor technologies.
Title: Ultra-low power systems for long running IoT applications
Abstract: SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son stated that “In the next 20 years, we will see 1 trillion Internet of Things devices”. Many of these will be in homes, offices and cities where power supply is available, however, for many of these devices, remote operation is more desirable. Energy harvesting enables long-term operation of sensor devices as part of the IoT, but combination with batteries still has a number of shortfalls. I am currently in my 10th month of study, and I will give this short presentation in the hope of explaining how remote sensing systems can operate directly from energy harvesting through “transient computing”, the improvements I have proposed to the existing approaches, and my intentions for further research as the PhD progresses.
Title:
Using Wireless Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring of Wind Turbines
Abstract:
Structural health monitoring and damage detection of civil structures are of increasing
importance in applications, in which reliability, security and optimisation play an important role. In the wind energy sector, they help to reduce operating downtimes, minimize security risks and thereby contribute to increased competitiveness of renewable energies.
In most monitoring approaches, sensors are placed on the inside of rotor blades, however, retro-fitting of monitoring systems is desirable. Therefore, sensor placement on the outside of rotor blades is a promising solution.
Main challenges of mounting sensors on the outside of wind turbine blades include positioning, energy harvesting and wireless transmission and will be addressed in this talk.
First promising results have been achieved by placing a light-weight low-profile MEMS accelerometer at the tip of a blade. Vibration frequencies, circular loading and turbine settings have been analysed for a two-month test period and indicate potential for detecting increased loads and vibrations due to damage or nonideal turbine settings. Additionally, suitable data analysis methods have been developed to detect alternating loads subject to wind effects such as wind shear, yaw, and tower shadow.
The overall aim of this approach is to draw conclusions regarding the condition of the blade and to determine influences such as aging and deformation.