Abstract:
A method for manufacturing a charge pump-based artificial lightning generator comprises the steps of: forming a second electrode on a prepared substrate; forming a negatively charged body having a sponge structure under the second electrode; removing spherical polymer particles from the negatively charged body using a toluene solution; allowing metal particles to penetrate into the negatively charged body; forming a positively charged body in a location which is at a predetermined distance below the negatively charged body in order to generate charges; nano-structuring the surface of the positively charged body; coating the nano-structured surface of the positively charged body with second metal particles; forming a ground layer for charge separation while maintaining a constant distance in the downward direction from one side of the positively charged body; and forming a first electrode for charge accumulation in a location which is at a predetermined distance below the positively charged body. Accordingly, the present invention can be miniaturized, can produce high-output energy from minute energy such as a wind, a vibration, or a sound, and can remarkably reduce costs incurred according to energy collection.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator and a method of manufacturing the same and, more particularly, to a high-output charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator manufactured by employing a lightning generation principle in ‘a charge pump (an integrated system of a charge generator, a charge isolator, and a charge accumulator)’, developing new materials for charging objects of the charge pump system, designing devices, and implementing integrated system design, and a method of manufacturing the same. 
         [0002]    The present invention also relates to a sustainably operable, environment-friendly, and high-output charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator manufactured by employing a charge accumulator using charge transfer between an electrostatic-induction-based grounding layer and a conductor to efficiently separate charges, designing a device structure based on vibration structure modeling, designing a system capable of efficiently using external energy, and ensuring reliability, and a method of manufacturing the same. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0003]    A strike of lightning in nature provides energy of about a billion joules or more to the ground surface. If the energy of lightning is transformable into electricity, a large amount of clean energy may be generated. 
         [0004]    However, since an expansive lightning tower should be constructed and an energy output time is very short, efficiency of energy generation is low. 
         [0005]    Lightning is caused by friction between water vapor molecules and ice crystals in a cumulonimbus cloud. Positive charges and negative charges generated due to the friction are effectively separated and accumulated in upper and lower parts of the cloud based on the density of the ice crystals, and a large number of charges are released due to a large potential caused by the charge separation. If the above technology is implementable with a palm size, the technology may be applied to various types of portable electronic products and used for auxiliary battery sources. 
         [0006]    Energy generation due to friction uses charge transfer between materials caused when two charging objects are rubbed together, and may achieve a high output by using a small external stress due to a high energy transformation efficiency thereof compared to other systems for transforming small energy into electricity. In addition, temporal and spatial restrictions are small compared to the other systems for transforming small energy, e.g., heat or sunlight, into electricity. Furthermore, energy may be sustainably generated without fatigue which is generally caused by a typical energy harvesting technology for generating energy by using an internal strain of a piezoelectric material. 
         [0007]    However, charges may not be uniformly distributed in charged surfaces due to restricted charge transfer between two charged objects, a low output current may be caused by much loss of charges generated in a device, and output characteristics may rapidly deteriorate at a low frequency. 
         [0008]    In addition, since most parts of research conducted until now use existing silicon-based materials (e.g., polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)), an innovative new material and structure capable of changing typical platforms are required. 
       PRIOR ART DOCUMENT 
     Patent Document 
       [0009]    KR 10-0433327 (May 18, 2004) 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
       [0010]    Accordingly, the present invention provides a high-output charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator manufactured by employing a lightning generation principle in ‘a charge pump (an integrated system of a charge generator, a charge isolator, and a charge accumulator)’, developing new materials for charging objects of the charge pump system, designing devices, and implementing integrated system design, and a method of manufacturing the same. 
         [0011]    The present invention also provides a sustainably operable, environment-friendly, and high-output charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator manufactured by employing a charge accumulator using charge transfer between an electrostatic-induction-based grounding layer and a conductor to efficiently separate charges, designing a device structure based on vibration structure modeling, designing a system capable of efficiently using external energy, and ensuring reliability, and a method of manufacturing the same. 
       Technical Solution 
       [0012]    According to an aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator according to the present invention includes (a) forming a second electrode on a prepared substrate, (b) forming a sponge-structured negative charging object under the second electrode, (c) removing spherical polymer particles from the negative charging object by using a toluene solution, (d) inserting first metal particles into the negative charging object, (e) forming a positive charging object below the negative charging object at a location spaced apart from the negative charging object by a certain distance, to generate charges, (f) nanostructuring a surface of the positive charging object, (g) coating the nanostructured surface of the positive charging object with second metal particles, (h) forming a grounding layer below a side of the positive charging object while maintaining a certain distance from the positive charging object, to separate charges, and (i) forming a first electrode below the positive charging object at a location spaced apart from the positive charging object by a certain distance, to accumulate charges. 
       Advantageous Effects of the Invention 
       [0013]    Based on a charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator and a method of manufacturing the same according to the present invention, a small generator may be produced, high-output energy may be generated by using small energy such as wind, vibration, or sound, and energy collection costs may be greatly reduced. 
         [0014]    In addition, economical effects may be achieved by a source technology about new materials of charging objects and an original patent about a new-concept charge-pump-based device structure and charge pump system. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a conceptual view of a charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator according to the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator according to the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a view for describing a process of manufacturing a positive charging object of the charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator according to the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a view for describing a process of manufacturing a negative charging object of the charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator according to the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a view for describing a method of manufacturing the charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator according to the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a view for describing a method and principles of driving the charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     MODE OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by explaining embodiments of the invention with reference to the attached drawings. The terms used in the specification and the claims should not be limited to conventional or lexical meanings and should be construed as having meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical idea of the present invention in order to the most appropriately describe the present invention. 
         [0022]    It should be understood that there is no intent to limit embodiments of the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but conversely, embodiments of the invention are to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a conceptual view of a charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator and a method of manufacturing the same according to the present invention, and  FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator and a method of manufacturing the same according to the present invention. 
         [0024]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator and a method of manufacturing the same according to the present invention include a second electrode  10 , a negative charging object  20 , a positive charging object  30 , supporters  40 , a grounding layer  50 , and a first electrode  60 . 
         [0025]    The second electrode  10  is configured as a monolayer or multilayer including at least one of aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), platinum (Pt), gold (Au), and indium tin oxide (ITO) on a flexible substrate (not shown) including polyester (PET), polyethersulfone (PES), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), Kapton, or the like. 
         [0026]    The negative charging object  20  is provided under the second electrode  10  and is spaced apart from the positive charging object  30  to be described below, by a certain distance due to support of the supporters  40 . 
         [0027]    Particularly, the negative charging object  20  includes a sponge-structured polymer, and the size of pores  21  in the sponge-structured polymer is generally determined to be about 0.1 μm to about 100 μm depending on the size of spherical particles (e.g., polystyrene, silica, or polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) particles) and the amount of distilled (DI) water. 
         [0028]    The sponge-structured negative charging object  20  may include an organic polymer (e.g., polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE), or cyclic olefin copolymer (COC)) or an inorganic polymer (e.g., polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or ORMOCER). 
         [0029]    The second electrode  10  and the negative charging object  20  are spaced part from the positive charging object  30  provided therebelow, by the certain distance, and generates a current and voltage due to an external stimulus or load. 
         [0030]    The positive charging object  30  is provided below the negative charging object  20  to be spaced apart from the negative charging object  20  by the certain distance due to support of the supporters  40 . 
         [0031]    In this case, the positive charging object  30  uses a flexible material electrode, uses a composite-material electrode using silver (Ag) nanowires  31 , and is coated with second metal particles  32  (e.g., Au, Ag, Al, Ni, or Pt particles) to enhance generation of charges. 
         [0032]    Specifically, a process of manufacturing the positive charging object  30  of the charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator according to the present invention is now described briefly with reference to  FIG. 3 . 
         [0033]    To manufacture the composite-material electrode using the Ag nanowires  31 , which is used as the positive charging object  30 , the Ag nanowires  31  are evenly dispersed on a flat substrate by using spin coating as illustrated in operation (a) of  FIG. 3 , an elastic epoxy-based polymer is coated on the dispersed Ag nanowires  31  to form a composite thereof as illustrated in operation (b) of  FIG. 3 , and the second metal particles  32  (e.g., Au, Ag, Al, Ni, or Pt particles) are coated on top surfaces of the Ag nanowires  31  to enhance generation of charges as illustrated in operations (c) and (d) of  FIG. 3 . 
         [0034]    Like the second electrode  10 , the first electrode  60  is configured as a monolayer or multilayer including at least one of Al, Ni, Cr, Pt, Au, and ITO on a flexible substrate (not shown) including PET, PES, PEN, Kapton, or the like. 
         [0035]    The supporters  40  includes first elastic supporters  41  and second elastic supporters  42 . The first elastic supporters  41  are vertically provided at four corners of the first electrode  60  between the first electrode  60  and the positive charging object  30 , and the second elastic supporters  42  are vertically provided at four corners of the positive charging object  30  between the positive charging object  30  and the second electrode  10 . 
         [0036]    The above-described first elastic supporters  41  and the second elastic supporters  42  are configured as elastic bodies, e.g., springs, to sensitively respond to an external stimulus or load, thereby utilizing generation of a current and voltage by the charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator and the method of manufacturing the same according to the present invention. 
         [0037]    In this case, the first elastic supporters  41  and the second elastic supporters  42  may be configured as springs having different spring constants k to control an external load, and the magnitude and amplitude of vibration. 
         [0038]    Specifically, the spring constant k of the second elastic supporters  42  may be 380 N/m, and the spring constant k of the first elastic supporters  41  may be 780 N/m to sustainably generate friction due to a single load. 
         [0039]    The grounding layer  50  is provided between the first electrode  60  and a charge generation layer (e.g., the negative charging object  20  and the positive charging object  30 ), and may selectively remove negative charges from the positive charging object  30  due to grounding such that the positive charging object  30  charged with only positive charges efficiently accumulates charges in the first electrode  60  due to electrostatic induction. 
         [0040]    In addition, the grounding layer  50  is inserted to selectively separate charges as described above, is configured as a monolayer or multilayer, and may include a material (e.g., metal, ceramic, or polymer) capable of selectively separating charges due to connection with the ground or an external device. 
         [0041]    In this case, an elastic body, e.g., a spring, provided under the grounding layer  50  enables stable contact between the grounding layer  50  and the positive charging object  30  by absorbing an external load applied downward to the positive charging object  30 . 
         [0042]    The method of manufacturing the charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator according to the present invention is now described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 5 . 
         [0043]    Initially, a substrate (not shown) is prepared (S 100 ). 
         [0044]    The substrate may be a flexible substrate including PET, PES, PEN, Kapton, or the like. 
         [0045]    As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the second electrode  10  configured as a monolayer or multilayer including at least one of Al, Ni, Cr, Pt, Au, and ITO is formed on the substrate (S 200 ). 
         [0046]    The negative charging object  20  is formed on the second electrode  10  illustrated in operation (a) of  FIG. 5  (S 300 ). 
         [0047]    The forming of the negative charging object  20  is now described in detail with reference to  FIG. 4 . 
         [0048]    The forming of the negative charging object  20  (S 300 ) includes mixing spherical polymer particles (e.g., polystyrene, silica, or PMMA particles) with a liquid as illustrated in operation (a) of  FIG. 4  (S 310 ), arranging the mixed spherical polymer particles (e.g., polystyrene, silica, or PMMA particles) as illustrated in operation (b) of  FIG. 4  (S 320 ), removing the liquid by drying the liquid in the air as illustrated in operation (c) of  FIG. 4  (S 330 ), mixing liquid-state negative charges with the spherical polymer particles as illustrated in operation (d) of  FIG. 4  (S 340 ), and filling the liquid-state negative charges between the spherical polymer particles as illustrated in operation (e) of  FIG. 4  (S 350 ). 
         [0049]    In this case, as described above, the polymer of the negative charging object  20  may include an organic polymer (e.g., PMMA, PET, PEEK, PS, PE, or COC) or an inorganic polymer (e.g., PDMS or ORMOCER), may be uniformly coated due to spin coating, and may be maintained in a vacuum state to allow a polymer solution to permeate between the spherical polymer particles. 
         [0050]    The liquid-state polymer may be heat-treated at 90° C. and transformed into a structure having flexible solid-state spherical polymer particles and a polymer. 
         [0051]    Then, the spherical polymer particles separated from the substrate and included in the negative charging object  20  are removed from the negative charging object  20  by using a toluene solution (S 400 ). 
         [0052]    In this case, the spherical polymer particles are dissolved in the toluene solution for 8 to 24 hours to be completely removed and thus the negative charging object  20  has a sponge structure. 
         [0053]    First metal particles  22  (e.g., Au, Ag, Al, Ni, or Pt particles) are formed in the sponge-structured negative charging object  20  (S 500 ). 
         [0054]    In this case, the first metal particles  22  may be mixed with the liquid and then inserted into the pores  21  of the sponge-structured negative charging object  20  together with the liquid in a vacuum state. 
         [0055]    After the first metal particles  22  and the liquid are inserted into the pores  21 , only the liquid may be selectively removed due to heat treatment at 90° C. and thus the sponge-structured negative charging object  20  having the first metal particles  22  in the pores  21  thereof are obtained. 
         [0056]    Then, the positive charging object  30  is formed below the negative charging object  20  at a location spaced apart from the negative charging object  20  by a certain distance as illustrated in operation (b) of  FIG. 5  (S 600 ). 
         [0057]    The positive charging object  30  uses a flexible material electrode and uses a composite-material electrode using the Ag nanowires  31 . 
         [0058]    A surface of the positive charging object  30  is nanostructured (S 700 ). 
         [0059]    The nanostructuring of the surface of the positive charging object  30  includes forming patterns on a silicon substrate by using photolithography (S 710 ), removing an oxide layer by using a buffered oxide etchant (BOE) after the patterns are formed (S 720 ), producing a mold having concaved lines, cubes, or pyramids corresponding to the shape of the formed patterns, by etching the silicon substrate by using a potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution (S 730 ), spin-coating a non-cured Ag-nanowires-polymer composite on the produced mold (S 740 ), removing air bubbles generated due to the spin-coating, in a vacuum state and then curing the Ag-nanowires-polymer composite by exposing the Ag-nanowires-polymer composite to ultraviolet light (S 750 ), and removing the cured Ag-nanowires-polymer composite from the mold (S 760 ). As such, a nanostructured pyramid-shaped surface structure may be obtained. 
         [0060]    The second metal particles  32  (e.g., Au, Ag, Al, Ni, or Pt particles) are coated on the nanostructured surface of the positive charging object  30  to enhance generation of charges (S 800 ). 
         [0061]    The grounding layer  50  illustrated in operation (c) of  FIG. 5  is formed below a side of the positive charging object  30  while maintaining a certain distance from the positive charging object  30  (S 900 ). 
         [0062]    In this case, the grounding layer  50  may be configured as a monolayer or multilayer including at least one of Al, Ni, Cr, Pt, Au, and ITO. 
         [0063]    Lastly, an accumulation layer or the first electrode  60  illustrated in operation (c) of  FIG. 5  is formed below the positive charging object  30  at a location spaced apart therefrom by a certain distance (S 1000 ). 
         [0064]    Due to the above-described operations S 100  to S 1000 , the charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator according to the present invention is manufactured as illustrated in operation (d) of  FIG. 5 . 
         [0065]    A method and principles of driving the above-described charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator according to the present invention are now described with reference to  FIG. 6 . 
         [0066]    As illustrated in operation (a) of  FIG. 6 , in an initial state, the negative charging object  20  has negative charges, the positive charging object  30  is neutral due to a combination of positive charges and negative charges separated to upper and lower parts of the positive charging object  30 , the second electrode  10  loses electrons due to electrostatic induction caused by negative charges of the negative charging object  20  and thus is induced to positive charges, and the first electrode  60  is induced to negative charges. 
         [0067]    In the above-described initial state, when an external load is applied to the charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator according to the present invention as illustrated in operation (b) of  FIG. 6 , the second elastic supporters  42  are compressed first due to different spring constants and thus friction occurs between the negative charging object  20  and the positive charging object  30 . 
         [0068]    In this case, charges of the positive charging object  30  are separated into positive charges and negative charges in upper and lower parts of the positive charging object  30  due to negative charges of the negative charging object  20 , and electrons do not move to an external circuit due to charge equilibration in the charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator. 
         [0069]    Then, when the external load is continuously applied to the charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator, as illustrated in operation (c) of  FIG. 6 , negative charges in the lower part of the positive charging object  30  induce positive charges onto a surface of the first electrode  60  and electrons move from the second electrode  10  to the first electrode  60  to generate an output current. Due to next compression of the first elastic supporters  41 , as illustrated in operation (d) of  FIG. 6 , friction occurs between the lower part of the positive charging object  30  and the grounding layer  50  and negative charges of upper layers (e.g., the second electrode  10 , the negative charging object  20 , and the positive charging object  30 ) having a relatively large number of negative charges may be selectively separated through the grounding layer  50 . 
         [0070]    Ultimately, as illustrated in operation (e) of  FIG. 6 , friction occurs in every layer and, in this case, charges and electrons do not move due to charge equilibration in the charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator. 
         [0071]    Then, as illustrated in operation (f) of  FIG. 6 , when the external load is removed, springs configured as the first elastic supporters  41  and the second elastic supporters  42  are almost simultaneously released. As such, with an extremely small time difference, the springs of the second elastic supporters  42  between the positive charging object  30  and the second electrode  10  are released first and then the springs of the first elastic supporters  41  between the positive charging object  30  and the first electrode  60  are released. 
         [0072]    When the springs of the first elastic supporters  41  are released later, positive charges in an upper surface of the positive charging object  30  induce negative charges onto a lower surface thereof to receive electrons injected from the grounding layer  50  and, as illustrated in operation (g) of  FIG. 6 , negative charges of the negative charging object  20  induce positive charges onto the second electrode  10  to deliver electrons to the first electrode  60 . 
         [0073]    Consequently, after the external load is removed, charges and electrons do not move due to charge equilibration in the charge-pump-based artificial lightning generator, and separated positive charges and negative charges of the positive charging object  30  are combined to return to the neutral initial state as illustrated in operation (a) of  FIG. 6 . When the external load is repeatedly applied, an output is generated due to the above-described operation and charge transfer. 
         [0074]    While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to embodiments thereof, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. 
       EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
       [0075]      10 : Second electrode 
         [0076]      20 : Negative charging object 
         [0077]      21 : Pores 
         [0078]      22 : First metal particles 
         [0079]      30 : Positive charging object 
         [0080]      31 : Ag nanowires 
         [0081]      32 : Second metal particles 
         [0082]      40 : Supporters 
         [0083]      41 : First elastic supporters 
         [0084]      42 : Second elastic supporters 
         [0085]      50 : Grounding layer 
         [0086]      60 : First electrode