Ferroelectric power generation in high-speed machinery

In this generator, a small voltage is applied to a condenser, then the plates are separated by applying mechanical work, and the condenser is discharged at maximum separation and elevated voltage. Initial experiments were done with an electrostatic generator employing a ferroelectric ceramic layer between the moving and stationary capacitor blades to maximize the current of the machine. The power of the machine increases inversely with the width of the air gap between the ferroelectric layer and the moving blades. The minimum air gap in this experiment was found to be 1 micron. Extrapolating this result to a full-scale device, it should be possible to build a 140-kW 2000-V 'ferroelectrostatic' generator with an approximate weight of 120 kg that could be directly coupled to a gas turbine or inertial wheel.