A Bio‐Inspired Temperature‐Arousing Battery with Giant Power for Fire Alarming

• Published in: Advanced functional materials Vol. 33; no. 29
• Main Authors: Li, Xinlei, Lyu, Shanzhi, Jia, Jichen, Gao, Naiwei, Wu, Xun, Ma, Yingchao, Wang, Yapei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.07.2023
• Subjects: Ecological effects; Endothermic reactions; Energy consumption; Exothermic reactions; fire alarming; Forest fires; Materials science; shape memory polymers; Switches; Temperature gradients; Temperature sensors; temperature‐arousing batteries; thermoelectric conversion; Thermoelectricity
• ISSN: 1616-301X; 1616-3028
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202300403

Forest fire has been becoming a conscious theme as it causes huge loss of life and ghastly impact on the ecological environment. Temperature sensor appropriate for large‐area distribution in forest is rising as a subject of considerable speculation to build a fire alarming network. This strategy needs power supplies that can support fire alarming sensors in long term. Herein, a concept of temperature‐arousing battery (TAB) is conceived that has no energy consumption at normal temperaturewhile becoming activated in fire scenario. The TAB is made of a thermoelectric (TE) generator deposited with exothermic and endothermic materials on its hot sink and cold sink, respectively. Learning from bombardier beetles, the exothermic reaction and endothermic reaction can only happen when the thermal‐responsive switches to isolate reactants are triggered in the event of fire occurrence. Even in an isothermal atmosphere, a remarkable temperature difference is formed between two sinks of TE generator, accordingly producing a thermoelectric voltage higher than 5.0 V and a giant power over 1.0 W, which are high enough to power a wireless signal transmitter. In the practical tests, the integrated self‐powered alarming system can transmit an electrical signal in 79 s when the TAB touches a forest fire. Inspired by bombardier beetles, a thermoelectric generator modified with controllable exothermic and endothermic reactions is developed that can generate temperature difference by itself independing on environmental temperature gradient. It serves as a self‐powered battery that only becomes activated in the case of abnormal temperature increase. The thermoelectric voltage higher than 5.0 V and a giant power over 1.0 W are high enough to power a wireless alarming system in response to early forest fire.