Electromagnetic-triboelectric-hybrid energy tile for biomechanical green energy harvesting

Abstract

Since the invention of Piezoelectric Nanogenerator in 2006, nanogenerators has become an attractive technology to the researchers for scavenging mechanical energy from the ambient environment for real life applications. Hybridization of these nanogenerators has been one of the effective techniques to maximize its output performance. In this work, a Triboelectric Nanogenerator (TENG) and Electro Magnetic Generator (EMG) based hybrid floor-tile has been developed to utilize the biomechanical energy from human footsteps. The TENG consists of oppositely charged layers of conductive aluminum and high-polarized Kapton with a layer of MoS2 as electron acceptor. On the other hand, the EMG is composed of copper coils and neodymium magnets. The output open circuit voltage and short circuit current of the device was tested at variable load (50 l b, 100 l b and 200 l b) and frequency of footsteps (60BPM, 90BPM, 120BPM). The device was further integrated with a bridge rectifier to test its capability to convert Alternative Current (AC) signal into Direct Current (DC) signal. The maximum open circuit voltage and short-circuit current was noted as 1200 V and 5 mA respectively. The output power of this energy harvesting device can be high as 6 W. This hybrid nanogenerator produces 25 times more open-circuit voltage and 20% more power in comparison to a commercially sold energy-harvester floor tile, Pavegen. The developed hybrid NG based floor-tile allows for cost-effective, green, and sustainable energy conversion and promotes sustainable development.