File photo: Agencies

JERUSALEM, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Israeli researchers have developed a method for generating electricity from water vapor in the air, Tel Aviv University (TAU) in central Israel said Monday.

For this purpose, TAU researchers have built a battery based on the discovery that electricity materializes in the interaction between water molecules and metal surfaces when humidity is high.

In their study, published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports, the team has so far generated a voltage of 1 volt, which may lead to the development of regular batteries that can be charged from water vapor in the air.

However, the team aims to reach much higher efficiencies, stating that "the results may be important as a renewable energy source in developing countries, where many communities still do not have access to electricity, but humidity is high."

The new battery is made of a grounded metal cylinder, allowing electricity to flow to the ground, and inside it is a different type of metal cylinder, which is completely isolated.

In lab experiences, the team created various levels of humidity and found that when humidity rose above 60 percent, an electrical voltage was created between the two metals.

The researchers then examined about 20 common metals and alloys of different types to determine which combination generates the highest voltage and found that the most suitable metal is zinc.

Then, the researchers tested the experimental facility in natural environment, on the roof of a building, and came to the same results.

It was also found that the voltage can be kept at high levels for a long time, if the humidity in the air remains high.