Study on Electrical Characteristics of Flexible Textile Aluminium-Air Battery/Wetness Sensor and their Applications

Abstract

The field of smart textiles has been steadily growing throughout the last decades. Wearables and garments with integrated electronics being one of the major sections of this area. One of the components that virtually any such product has is a power source. This paper focuses on one such option, which employs only non-toxic materials, which can be safely used in close proximity to human body. The paper builds on previously developed flexible textile aluminium-air battery prototype. New electrical measurements are provided, which show possibilities and limitations of the developed primary battery, as well as niches, where it can be used. This paper focuses on testing the battery in real-world application conditions, by repeatedly activating and deactivating it for short periods of time in order to test its useful life period. From that point useful practical applications can be determined, which take into account limitations of the battery. The measurements show that the battery is best suited for use in emergency and alarm systems, where the system is activated for relatively short period of time in order to change system’s state or transmit an alarm message. Some examples are smart diapers with smart monitoring capabilities and anti-drowning safety bracelets.