A self-powered radio frequency (RF) transmission system based on the combination of triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and piezoelectric element for disaster rescue/relief

Abstract

We present a self-powered, wireless radio frequency (RF) transmitter based on the combination of triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and piezoelectric element, which can send coded signal remotely to a receiver when the sensor is triggered. The piezoelectric element is connected to an energy management module (EMM) which supplies regulated power suitable for powering the RF module; the triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) act as sensors, which control the code being transmitted by the RF module. In addition, a switch is embedded in TENG to control the power supply from EMM to the RF module; only at the moment of TENG being pressed, the power stored in EMM (ultimately from the piezoelectric element) is supplied to the RF module, and the intended RF signal is transmitted. The RF signal is then received by the receiver and the transmitted code is deciphered and then visualised by a Labview program on PC. Four TENGs are used as sensing elements of mechanical pressing, and each triggers a different command to be transmitted. It is believed that, with such novel combination of the piezoelectric element for powering and TENG for sensing, this is a novel application of TENG and piezoelectric element to transmit coded RF signal with regulated power supply suitable for many modern electronics. The designed self-powered RF transmission system and the general system structure have potentially widespread applications in wireless communication and sensing, especially in applications where power or electricity is disrupted/unavailable, such as disaster rescue/relief, e.g. entrapment in buildings and natural environments due to lift malfunction, earthquake, landslide, debris flow, and blizzards, etc.