Researchers dream up rain-powered devices

There have certainly been gizmos to surface throughout the years that react in some form or fashion to rain, but Jean-Jacques Chaillout and colleagues at the Atomic Energy Commission in France are fantasizing about using those diminutive droplets of water to actually power useful creations. After using computer models to find out just how much energy could be created by rainfall landing on piezoelectric materials, they determined that between 1 nanojoule and 25 microjoules of energy could be generated per drop. Granted, that won't keep a WoW gamer crankin' through the eve, but it could be used in everyday sensors that just need a smidgen of power in order to beam back results or data to ground control (or Major Tom). So yeah, these may not work so well in Death Valley, but we hear Amazonia could really benefit.

[Via NewScientist, image courtesy of ABC]

[Taylor @ Jan 27th 2008 1:24AM]

They could power the sensors to record how much its rained today!

[zfurie @ Jan 27th 2008 2:45AM]

Naaah.. Put up the rainfall power generators on an umbrella to power up the lights on the umbrella's main stem ala Blade Runner umbrellas.

Next step: Spinners.

[mushrooshi @ Jan 27th 2008 1:27AM]

Why not have a bunch of micro-generators pick up vibrations and waves caused by rain drops?

Much like this: http://www.nilim.go.jp/lab/fcg/english/facilities/img/07.jpg

[m @ Jan 27th 2008 1:49AM]

cue reactionary comment reminding us that manufacturing such devices will create pollution.

[Flashpoint @ Jan 27th 2008 1:52AM]

How long will it take a rig like this to generate 1.21 Gigawatts?

[Kurian @ Jan 27th 2008 1:59AM]

"..to beam back results or data to ground control (or Major Tom)"

LOL nice reference to the song Space Oddity by David Bowie.

[Reader @ Jan 27th 2008 2:13AM]

This reminds me of some cool MIT lecture I saw. The water would drip from the bucket through a simple contraption, and after a period of time cause an electric spark.

[RedOut @ Jan 27th 2008 2:14AM]

"And I'm floating in a most peculiar waaay..."

Sorry, couldn't help myself

[671GD @ Jan 27th 2008 2:34AM]

Dream on Frenchies. Dream on.

[grjohnston @ Jan 27th 2008 3:58AM]

If you put solar panels and rain-generators in the same places, then you'll be greatly increasing the amount of time you could be harvesting energy! Whee!

[michas_pi @ Jan 27th 2008 4:21AM]

Can it be powered by chocolate rain?

[UrsuSH @ Jan 27th 2008 4:56AM]

the rest of us in north western europe are waiting with soggy (not bated) breath

[Wwhat @ Jan 27th 2008 5:10AM]

You could power your SUV with the tears of children!

[bob @ Jan 27th 2008 7:08AM]

This is perhaps the greatest comment ever. I have nothing to add, just adulation.

[dramamoose @ Jan 27th 2008 11:35AM]

The ONLY use I could see for this would be to make the collectors transparent, and have them on top of solar panels, so you could get power without sun as well as with.

[treetrunk @ Jan 27th 2008 11:56AM]

Why us that the ONLY use? Having both would obviously increase the cost, in some areas it rains more than there is bright sunlight, and as is often done with solar the power could be stored in a battery for use when it's not raining. This probably won't see much use in consumer goods, but I can see it could be very useful such as in the example given of remote sensors.

[dramamoose @ Jan 27th 2008 12:16PM]

Sorry. I should've clarified. The only major power generation use I could see for this would be application on top of solar panels. I can see its use in small sensors and other low-wattage applications.

[xopethx @ Jan 27th 2008 11:58AM]

This is Bowie, to Bowie...can you hear me out there, man?

[Matthew @ Jan 27th 2008 12:57PM]

So, evidently the current "rain-powered" hydroelectric dams count for nothing. Certainly a little bit later in the water cycle, but it is rain power nonetheless.

[Lonnie McClure @ Jan 27th 2008 1:12PM]

If you want to start going up the energy food chain, dams are actually solar powered, since the sun powers the evaporation that creates the clouds that precipitate the water in the form of rain or snow.

[Matthew @ Jan 27th 2008 8:49PM]

true, but then the same would be true of this new "rain-powered" device as well. But if we were to go that far, would we then be forced to claim most all forms of electricity generation solar. Such as the fact that the sun drives the weather and wind, so there is no such thing as wind power. Heat is necessary to create oils and coal over many many years. So oil is solar power.

But, i digress, you make a valid point. I simply feel that the obvious similarity between the conversion of water to electricity by the pull of gravity merits mention.

[rlynd3 @ Jan 28th 2008 3:08AM]

Evne higher up... This is fusion powered!

[Matthew @ Jan 28th 2008 7:02AM]

Indeed. I feared someone would take it that far.

[Flashpoint @ Jan 27th 2008 6:21PM]

technicaly, Hydroelectric dams are GRAVITY POWERED. The Sun is actually unnescessary but Gravity provides the potential energy.

[Lonnie McClure @ Jan 27th 2008 10:45PM]

"The Sun is actually unnescessary..."

Did you mean to actually say, "The Sun is actually necessary..."?

After all, without evaporation powered by the sun, every dam in the world would stop providing power as soon as the water level dropped below the intakes, since it would never be replenished.

Please note my "going up the energy food chain" comment. I certainly wasn't directly implying dams were directly powered by solar energy, simply that it is what is ultimately the engine that makes them work. The same can be said for wind energy.

[Richard @ Jan 27th 2008 4:41PM]

A few million of these micro rain water generators in England and they can power the whole of Europe all year round...(ducks)

[John @ Jan 28th 2008 1:37AM]

They don't realize....he's alive!