Intelligent fabric with thermoelectric power generation and battery energy storage functions

Abstract

The invention discloses an intelligent fabric with thermoelectric power generation and battery energy storage functions, and belongs to the field of functional fiber fabrics. A fabric body of the intelligent fabric is formed by weaving fibers, thermoelectric fibers and energy storage fibers, the fibers enhance the strength and the pulling resistance of the fabric, and the thermoelectric fibers are formed by alternately and circularly arranging P-type fibers, electrode layers and N-type fibers in a sectional mode and can be prepared in various modes; the energy storage fiber is a fibrous battery or a supercapacitor prepared from a specific material through wet spinning, and is coated with an elastic polymer outer layer. A pocket is sewn on the surface of the fabric body, and a charging unit connected with the energy storage fibers and provided with a wireless or wired charging device is integrated in the fabric body. When a person wears the garment, the thermoelectric fibers generate potential difference through the temperature difference between the human body and the environment, electric energy is transmitted to the energy storage fibers connected in parallel to be stored, the charging unit can charge portable equipment in a wired or wireless mode, and the problem that the endurance of the portable equipment is insufficient is effectively solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of functional fiber fabrics, and specifically relates to an intelligent fabric with thermoelectric power generation and battery energy storage. Background Art

[0002] In the process of continuous progress in science and technology, wearable devices have emerged as a focus of much attention in the research field. This type of new technology combines advanced sensors, cutting-edge communication technology and powerful computing power, and has been very useful in many aspects such as work research assistance, physical condition detection, motion trajectory tracking, environmental situation monitoring and medical auxiliary support, which has profoundly changed people's living habits and work paradigms. However, it cannot be ignored that such portable devices generally face the dilemma of insufficient battery life. The frequent need for charging not only greatly reduces the convenience of use, but also creates serious obstacles for those scenarios that require long-term continuous monitoring and work conditions when out and without charging conditions. Therefore, it is urgent to explore a practical way to solve the problem of short battery life and difficult charging of portable devices.

[0003] The human body is a natural carrier platform for wearable devices. Many researchers have found that with the help of energy conversion technologies such as thermoelectricity, piezoelectricity, and triboelectricity, the human body's own physiological characteristics and behavioral dynamics can be converted into electrical energy, thereby providing effective energy supplements for portable devices. Specifically, these materials with special functions are prepared into a one-dimensional fiber form, and then interwoven with fibers. In this way, the fabric formed can retain the basic properties of traditional clothing and realize charging and discharging functions, and it is hoped that wearable electronics and other portable devices can be self-powered in the future.

[0004] Thermoelectric fibers have unique advantages. They can directly use the temperature difference effect to efficiently convert thermal energy into electrical energy. When human activities occur or the ambient temperature fluctuates, a temperature difference will naturally form between the human body and the environment. Thermoelectric fibers can capture and effectively convert this thermal energy into electrical energy, thereby continuously supplying electricity to portable devices. This technological innovation not only strongly promotes the sustainable utilization of energy, but also significantly reduces the dependence on traditional energy, opening up a new path for the widespread application of green energy. However, it is worth noting that with the continuous evolution and development of thermoelectric technology, the energy conversion efficiency of thermoelectric materials will inevitably continue to rise. In the continuous process of this energy conversion, especially in areas where the difference between human body temperature and ambient temperature is significant and maintained for a long time, a large amount of excess energy will inevitably be generated. With the continuous consumption of energy resources and the increasing demand for energy in production and development, it is necessary to collect these green and sustainable energies. In addition, the efficiency of thermoelectric conversion is affected by many factors. When the equipment is replenished with energy, the instability of its current affects its replenishment efficiency.

[0005] Energy storage fiber is a battery or supercapacitor that is shaped into a fiber-shaped energy storage element. Its good flexibility, lightness, and mechanical properties give it a very broad application prospect in many fields such as wearable devices, smart homes, and electric vehicles.

[0006] In summary, the functional smart fabric made by combining thermoelectric fibers with energy storage fibers and weaving them together through textile technology can efficiently utilize the temperature difference between the human body and the environment to generate electricity, and properly store the generated electricity inside the fiber, thereby stably charging and extending the battery life of various portable devices such as wearable devices and implantable medical devices, providing a solid foundation for the development of wearable devices and smart clothing. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention provides an intelligent fabric composed of thermoelectric fibers and energy storage fibers, which realizes the integration from power generation to power storage, can provide long-term energy replenishment for portable devices, and effectively improves its energy replenishment efficiency, aiming to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned background technology.

[0008] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0009] A smart fabric with thermoelectric power generation and battery energy storage, comprising a fabric body, wherein the fabric body is woven from fibers, thermoelectric fibers and energy storage fibers, wherein the fibers are used as warp threads or weft threads, and the thermoelectric fibers and energy storage fibers are woven at intervals as weft threads or warp threads corresponding to the fibers, and the thermoelectric fibers and energy storage fibers are connected and are both single fibers;

[0010] The thermoelectric fiber is composed of P-type fiber-electrode layer-N-type fiber arranged alternately and cyclically;

[0011] The energy storage fiber comprises a polymer outer layer, wherein the polymer outer layer contains an electrolyte and two fiber electrodes;

[0012] A charging unit is provided on the fabric body, and the charging unit is connected to the fiber electrodes in the energy storage fiber. A wireless or wired charging device is provided in the charging unit to charge the portable device.

[0013] As a further preferred embodiment, the fiber is a natural fiber or a man-made fiber.

[0014] As a further preferred solution, the P-type fiber is electrochemically deposited or coated on the surface of the fiber material by a P-type thermoelectric material, and the N-type fiber is electrochemically deposited or coated on the surface of the fiber material by an N-type thermoelectric material.

[0015] As a further preferred embodiment, the P-type fiber and the N-type fiber are made by core-shell solution wet spinning, and P-type thermoelectric material and N-type thermoelectric material are alternately extruded in the core layer.

[0016] As a further preferred embodiment, the energy storage fiber is a fiber-shaped battery or supercapacitor made by wet spinning, the fiber electrode core layer is made of highly conductive material, the electrolyte is made of conductively doped semi-solid or solid material, and the polymer outer layer is made of elastic material.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the present invention include:

[0018] 1. The smart fabric proposed in the present invention uses the temperature difference between human body heat and the external environment to generate electricity, thereby providing reliable charging support for portable devices such as wearable electronic devices and implantable medical devices, significantly improving the current situation of poor battery life of such devices and providing a strong guarantee for their continuous and stable operation.

[0019] 2. By integrating energy storage fibers into the self-generating fabric system, the electrical energy generated by the thermoelectric effect can be efficiently stored inside the clothing, which not only effectively reduces the energy loss during transmission and conversion, but also greatly increases the upper limit of replenishable energy and optimizes the entire energy management and utilization process.

[0020] 3. Due to the instability of the thermoelectric effect and its high dependence on environmental conditions, when charging portable devices, the unstable current is very likely to damage the electronic devices. By introducing energy storage fibers as energy transfer links, the current can be effectively buffered and regulated, making the output current stable, thereby greatly improving the charging efficiency and ensuring the safety and reliability of the charging process.

[0021] 4. The smart fabric proposed in the present invention has good compatibility and can be combined with traditional fabrics and integrated through sewing technology. In extreme environments such as space and the moon, due to the significant difference between ambient temperature and human body temperature, the smart fabric can continuously perform charging and energy storage operations. By increasing the content of energy storage fiber and thermoelectric fiber, the charging efficiency is improved, providing a stable and uninterrupted power supply for space suits, life support systems and even various scientific research equipment, effectively extending the duration and range of astronauts' missions outside the cabin. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of smart fabric;

[0023] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of smart fabric fiber weaving;

[0024] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the energy storage fiber structure.

[0025] They include: 1. fabric body; 2. charging unit; 3. fiber; 4. thermoelectric fiber; 5. energy storage fiber; 6. P-type fiber; 7. electrode layer; 8. N-type fiber; 9. fiber electrode; 10. electrolyte; 11. polymer outer layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to make the purpose and technical solution of the present invention clearly and completely described, and the advantages more clearly understood, the embodiments of the present invention are further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments, and are only used to explain the embodiments of the present invention, and are not used to limit the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the present invention provides an intelligent fabric with thermoelectric power generation and battery energy storage, including a fabric body 1, which is woven from fibers 3, thermoelectric fibers 4 and energy storage fibers 5, wherein the fibers 3 serve as warps or wefts, and the thermoelectric fibers 4 and the energy storage fibers 5 are woven at intervals as corresponding wefts or warps, and the thermoelectric fibers 4 and the energy storage fibers 5 are connected and are both single fibers.

[0028] In one embodiment, the thermoelectric fibers 4 and the energy storage fibers 5 are arranged alternately as warp threads, such as one thermoelectric fiber 4 and one energy storage fiber 5 are arranged in sequence, and then interwoven with the weft threads to form a fabric. During the interweaving process, the adjacent thermoelectric fibers 4 and energy storage fibers 5 are in close contact in the warp direction of the fabric, and can be connected through charge conduction on the fiber surface, so that charge can be transferred between the two fibers.

[0029] Specifically, the fiber 3 can be natural fibers such as wool, cotton, silk, etc., or artificial fibers such as acrylic, spandex, nylon, polyester, etc., to improve the strength and tensile resistance of the fabric.

[0030] Specifically, the thermoelectric fiber 4 is composed of a sequential arrangement mode of P-type fiber 6-electrode layer 7-N-type fiber 8 in a segmented alternating cycle, which can be achieved by sequentially electrochemically depositing or coating P-type (such as Bi2Te3), electrode and N-type (such as Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 In another embodiment, the organic composite thermoelectric materials of P type (such as PEDOT:PSS, etc.) and N type (N type doped PEDOT:PSS, etc.) can be extruded in sections in the core layer by core-shell solution wet spinning.

[0031] It should be noted that in the arrangement pattern of P-type fiber 6-electrode layer 7-N-type fiber 8 of the thermoelectric fiber 4, P-type fiber 6 and N-type fiber 8 are two different thermoelectric materials. When there is a temperature difference, the holes (positive charge carriers) in the P-type material and the electrons (negative charge carriers) in the N-type material will move in a directional manner under the drive of the temperature gradient, and the electrode layer 7 plays the role of collecting and conducting charges. Due to the different carrier properties of the P-type material and the N-type material, under the action of the temperature difference, positive charges will accumulate on one side of the P-type material and negative charges will accumulate on one side of the N-type material. The electrode layer 7 can collect these charges to form a potential difference, thereby generating current in the external circuit.

[0032] Specifically, the energy storage fiber 5 includes a polymer outer layer 11, which contains an electrolyte 10 and two fiber electrodes 9. The energy storage fiber 5 is a fibrous battery or supercapacitor prepared by wet spinning, in which highly conductive materials such as carbon nanotubes and graphene are used as the core layer of the fiber electrode 9, and semi-solid or solid materials such as conductive-doped calcium alginate hydrogel materials are used as the shell electrolyte 10, and then an elastic polymer outer layer 11 such as polyurethane is coated on the fiber surface.

[0033] It should be noted that wet spinning is a method of chemical fiber spinning. The principle is to dissolve the polymer in an appropriate solvent to form a uniform spinning solution. This spinning solution has a certain viscosity and fluidity and can be extruded through the spinneret. After the spinning solution is extruded from the spinneret, it enters the coagulation bath. The coagulation bath is another liquid medium that contains a coagulant that can coagulate the polymer in the spinning solution. In the coagulation bath, the solvent in the spinning solution and the coagulant in the coagulation bath are exchanged, causing the polymer to gradually coagulate from a solution state into a solid fiber.

[0034] It should be noted that core-shell solution wet spinning is a technology used to prepare fibers with special structures based on wet spinning. In this process, the fiber has a double-layer structure of a core layer and a shell layer. First, the materials used to form the core layer and the shell layer are prepared into different solutions. For the core layer material, a spinning solution containing P-type (such as PEDOT:PSS, etc.) and N-type (N-type doped PEDOT:PSS, etc.) organic composite thermoelectric materials is prepared; the shell layer material is also prepared into a corresponding spinning solution.

[0035] When spinning, the two spinning solutions are extruded alternately through a special spinneret. The spinneret is designed to ensure that the core layer spinning solution is inside and the shell layer spinning solution is wrapped around the outside of the core layer, just like putting a "shell" on the core layer. They enter the coagulation bath together, where the solvent and coagulant are exchanged, so that the materials of the core layer and the shell layer are coagulated at the same time, forming a fiber with a core-shell structure.

[0036] Furthermore, a pocket is sewn on the surface of the fabric body 1, and a charging unit 2 is integrated inside the pocket. The charging unit 2 is connected to the fiber electrode 9 in the energy storage fiber 5, and the charging unit 2 is provided with a wireless or wired charging device to connect with a portable device.

[0037] When a person wears this smart fabric, the body surface temperature can usually be maintained at a relatively constant state, while the ambient temperature will change due to various factors, which inevitably leads to a certain difference between the ambient temperature and the body surface temperature. In this case, the thermoelectric fiber 4 in the fabric can keenly capture this temperature difference, and the thermoelectric material inside it will quickly generate a thermoelectric potential at the electrode layer 7 of the fiber due to the temperature difference, and then form a stable potential difference through the mature thermoelectric effect principle.

[0038] Once a potential difference is generated, the electric energy will be transferred from the thermoelectric fiber 4 to the connected energy storage fiber 5 under the drive of the electric field force, following the basic principle of the circuit. As a key component of energy storage, the energy storage fiber 5 efficiently stores the received electric energy for subsequent use.

[0039] At the same time, the charging unit 2 connected to the energy storage fiber 5 plays an important role in energy transfer, and forms a complete energy transmission path with the energy storage fiber 5 through a pre-designed line. When it is necessary to replenish power for the portable device, whether it is a traditional wired connection method, the device is closely connected to the interface of the charging unit 2 through an adapted charging cable, or the device and the charging unit 2 are connected to achieve energy transmission over air within a certain effective distance range by using wireless charging technology, it is possible to smoothly obtain power from the energy storage fiber 5, thereby charging the device and providing reliable energy guarantee for the continuous and stable operation of the portable device.

[0040] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A smart fabric with thermoelectric power generation and battery energy storage, characterized in that: The fabric body (1) is woven from fibers (3), thermoelectric fibers (4) and energy storage fibers (5), wherein the fibers (3) serve as warp threads or weft threads, the thermoelectric fibers (4) and energy storage fibers (5) are woven at intervals to serve as weft threads or warp threads corresponding to the fibers (3), and the thermoelectric fibers (4) and energy storage fibers (5) are connected and are both single fibers; The thermoelectric fiber (4) is composed of a P-type fiber (6)-electrode layer (7)-N-type fiber (8) which are arranged alternately and cyclically; The energy storage fiber (5) comprises a polymer outer layer (11), wherein the polymer outer layer (11) contains an electrolyte (10) and two fiber electrodes (9); A charging unit (2) is provided on the fabric body (1), the charging unit (2) is connected to the fiber electrodes (9) in the energy storage fibers (5), and a wireless or wired charging device is provided in the charging unit (2) for charging the portable device.

2. The smart fabric with thermoelectric power generation and battery energy storage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fibers (3) are natural fibers or artificial fibers.

3. The smart fabric with thermoelectric power generation and battery energy storage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The P-type fiber (6) is formed by electrochemically depositing or coating a P-type thermoelectric material on the surface of the fiber material, and the N-type fiber (8) is formed by electrochemically depositing or coating an N-type thermoelectric material on the surface of the fiber material.

4. The smart fabric with thermoelectric power generation and battery energy storage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The P-type fibers (6) and the N-type fibers (8) are manufactured by alternately extruding P-type thermoelectric materials and N-type thermoelectric materials in the core layer by means of core-shell solution wet spinning.

5. The smart fabric with thermoelectric power generation and battery energy storage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The energy storage fiber (5) is a fiber-shaped battery or supercapacitor made by wet spinning, the core layer of the fiber electrode (9) is made of a highly conductive material, the electrolyte (10) is made of a conductively doped semi-solid or solid material, and the polymer outer layer (11) is made of an elastic material.

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