Brownian motion of magnetic nanoparticles as a source of energy?

Abstract

Brownian motion of magnetic nanoparticles in a low-density gas can induce random voltage pulses in a microscopic electric circuit containing a high-number-of-turns coil and a classical diode rectifier. The amplitude of the voltage pulses is estimated and the rectification condition examined. We have shown that in our toy-model nanogenerator where the motion of the magnetic nanoparticle is restricted to one-dimensional rotation around its vertical axis and the nanoparticle is inserted into a very low number-density gas (3 × 1016 m-3) one can generate voltage pulses of the amplitude of 3 × 10-8 V in one coil turn. The total number of 106 turns is then necessary to reach the rectifying region.