Abstract
In this study, a method for the bacterial disinfection of drinking water in the water storage systems based on the electric potential generated from a piezoelectric wind energy harvester is presented. First, an efficient galloping piezoelectric wind energy harvester is designed by adding curve- shaped attachments to the bluff body of the harvester. The simulated output voltage of the harvester is validated by performing different sets of experiments on an open environment. Later, the output voltage of the harvester is enhanced, using copper oxide nanowires (CuONWs) grown perpendicular to the surface of the center copper wire. The enhanced electric field is able to disinfect the bacterial water in a 25 min time period. The bacterial removal log efficiency of 2.33 is obtained with a supplied rms voltage of 0.1 V from the harvester. The findings of this study will help to provide alternate means to water treatment that are efficient, reliable, and also free from disinfection by-products.