Electro-mechanical energy conversion devices and systems
There are provided methods for creating energy conversion devices based on the giant flexoelectric effect in non-calamitic liquid crystals. By preparing a substance comprising at least one type of non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules and stabilizing the substance to form a mechanically flexible material, flexible conductive electrodes may be applied to the material to create an electro-mechanical energy conversion device which relies on the giant flexoelectric effect to produce electrical and/or mechanical energy that is usable in such applications as, for example, power sources, energy dissipation, sensors/transducers, and actuators.
1. An electro-mechanical energy conversion device, said device comprising:
a stabilized substance comprising at least one type of non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules forming a mechanically flexible material; and
at least one conductive electrode applied to said material.
2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a circuit electrically connected with said at least one electrode.
3. The device of claim 1 further comprising a resistive load electrically connected with said at least one electrode.
4. The device of claim 1 further comprising a current detector electrically connected with said at least one electrode.
5. The device of claim 1 further comprising a source of electrical potential difference electrically connected with said at least one electrode.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein said mechanically flexible material comprises a polymer matrix of covalent bonds between two or more functional groups of said at least one type of non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein said mechanically flexible material comprises a polymer matrix of covalent bonds between two or more functional groups of reactive compounds dissolved in said non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules before said substance is stabilized.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein said mechanically flexible material comprises a polymer matrix of hydrogen bonds between two or more functional groups of said at least one type of non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein said mechanically flexible material comprises a polymer matrix of hydrogen bonds between two or more functional groups of reactive compounds dissolved in said non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules before said substance is stabilized.
10. The device of claim 1 , wherein said mechanically flexible material comprises at least one elastic substrate.
11. The device of claim 1 , wherein said mechanically flexible material comprises a polymer mesh.
12. The device of claim 1 , wherein said non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules are aligned such that a direction of average molecular anisotropy in an undistorted state is substantially uniform across the molecules.
13. The device of claim 1 , wherein said non-calamitic nematic liquid crystal molecules comprise bent core nematic liquid crystal molecules.
14. The device of claim 1 , wherein a liquid crystal phase of said non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules is nematic.
15. The device of claim 1 , wherein said non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules are capable of exhibiting giant flexoelectricity.
16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the mechanically flexible material is connected to a movable substrate which causes mechanical flexing of the mechanically flexible material upon movement thereof.
17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductive electrode is selected from the group consisting of flexible electrodes, rigid electrodes or combinations thereof.
18. The device of claim 1 , wherein the mechanically flexible material is a polymer matrix comprised of bonds selected from the group consisting of covalent bonds between two or more functional groups of reactive compounds dissolved in the non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules before the substance as stabilized, covalent bonds between two or more functional groups of the at least one type of non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules hydrogen bonds between two or more functional groups of the at least one type of non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules, hydrogen bonds between two or more functional groups of reactive compounds dissolved in the non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules before the substance is stabilized or combinations thereof.
19. An electro-mechanical energy conversion device, said device comprising:
a stabilized substance comprising at least one type of non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules forming a mechanically movable material; and
at least two conductive electrodes applied to said material.
20. An energy conversion device comprising:
a flexible substrate having at least one type of non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules therein; and
a system for the flexible substrate to be selectively moved to cause flexing thereof, wherein the non-calamitic liquid crystal molecules exhibit the giant flexoelectric effect in response to said flexing.