Presenter: Ryan Turley, College of Science, Engineering, and Technology, Department of Engineering
Authors: Ryan Mahonri Turley, Dr. Russell C. Reid
Faculty Advisor: Russell Reid, College of Science, Engineering, and Technology, Department of Engineering
Institution: Dixie State University
In search of new alternative energy sources, we are developing a shaker table to study the energy harvesting process of reverse electro wetting. The shaker table is an oscillating platform used for pulsating fluids through cavities and chambers to generate electricity. The electricity is generated by moving electrolyte liquids across a dielectrically coated surface while altering the contact surface, resulting in an alternating current as the contact surface repeatedly increases and decreases. The shaker table will allow in-depth studies on how to perfect and better understand this type of energy generation and aid in visualizing how the liquid electrolyte behaves within microscale channels. The system is capable of oscillating at a frequency as low as 1 Hz and an amplitude well in excess of 1 cm and it is being adapted to accommodate a variety of tests. This oscillation platform will further the understanding and implementation of this new form of generating electricity, thus bringing us one step further to new heights in clean, renewal energy and being able to reliably power wearable devices.