A vortex-induced vibration device based on MG-TENG and research of its application in ocean current energy harvesting

Abstract

In recent years, with the extensive research on the application of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) by scholars all over the world, the development of TENGs in harvesting and utilization of ocean energy has attracted more and more attention according to the advantages of TENGs in low-frequency energy harvesting. As a kind of ocean energy, the development and utilization of ocean current energy is of great significance to the diversification of energy sources, the promotion of sustainable energy development, the protection of ecological environment and the response to climate change. In this work, a novel device based on the combination of vortex-induced vibration (VIV) and multi-grating TENG (MG-TENG) is proposed for energy harvesting in low-speed ocean currents. The device consists of an up and down moving float driving the TENG to convert kinetic energy into electrical energy. The result shows that the system has a maximum average output power of nearly 20 μW under the condition of 8 grating TENG. This work demonstrates the ability of devices based on the combination of VIV and MG-TENG to drive low-power electronic components, demonstrating future applications for sensing, positioning, and more.