A hybrid wind and raindrop energy harvesting operating on Savonius turbine

Abstract

In offshore environments, abundant wind and rainfall resources await development, representing significant untapped energy potential for powering Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Triboelectric Nanogenerators (TENGs) are particularly suited for capturing continuous motion in offshore environments, presenting a reliable solution for sustainable energy generation in IoT applications. Herein, we propose a wind-droplet hybrid generator (WDHG) tailored for adaptive environmental energy harvesting, explicitly targeting the demanding conditions prevalent in offshore environments. The WDHG combines the efficiency of a helical Savonius TENG with the versatility of an interdigitated electrode TENG, enabling simultaneous wind and rain energy harvesting. The helical Savonius TENG exhibits superior aerodynamic performance, producing an output power ranging from 0.39 to 2.10 mW with wind speeds increasing from 0.75 to 6.84 m/s. Additionally, the droplet TENG generates a power output of 35.90 mW/m2 under rainfall at 70 mm/min. Optimizations include not only the comparative analysis of helical Savonius turbines and the variation in pole-pair numbers but also adjustments in fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) film thickness and electrode gap length for interdigitated electrode, alongside the development of a tailored power management circuit (PMC) featuring dual bridge rectifiers, a buck circuit module, and a smart load switch. The PMC enables continuous operation of a low-powered digital thermohygrometer under conditions of 4.5 m/s wind speed, and drives a 20-second wake BLE server under 7.2 m/s wind speeds. Integration of the WDHG with offshore wind and raindrop extends energy harvesting capabilities, exhibiting a great potential of providing reliable power source for IoT devices.