This paper experimentally investigates the power generation property of carbon nanotubes in an aqueous environment. Carbon nanotube based films are investigated in this paper as a new method for power generation based on ionic conductivity of the fluid. It is demonstrated that a carbon nanotube film that is bonded onto a structure vibrating with an electrolyte on the surface produces an alternating current without a net fluid flow. The power produced is smaller than for a piezoelectric material of the same size, but the CNT power generator is lightweight and has no moving parts, and does not require the structure to be immersed in an electrolyte. There are various possible applications for nanotube power generators.
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