High-output pulsed water flow and gas-liquid two-phase flow triboelectric nanogenerator based on induction electrification

Abstract

As a highly recognized novel energy-harvesting technology, solid–liquid triboelectric nanogenerators (SL-TENGs) have garnered widespread attention in the field of renewable energy. However, despite their relatively high performance in discharge collection, the issue of output instability persists in SL-TENGs, potentially posing latent risks to electronic devices. Simultaneously, during the collection of induced electricity, the output of SL-TENGs is comparably diminished although it remains relatively stable. To overcome these drawbacks, a high-speed, water flow-based triboelectric nanogenerator was developed in this study. This design employs a pulsatile form, leveraging the moment when high-speed water flow swiftly infiltrates the polytetrafluoroethylene pipe wall, causing the water to blanket the entire pipe wall and subsequently diminish gradually. This process engenders a substantial potential difference, culminating in a conspicuous output peak. Through this innovative design, an excellent output performance with an instantaneous peak voltage of 2270 V and an instantaneous peak current of 141 μA is successfully achieved. This performance level is sufficient for directly illuminating 300 light-emitting diode lights or powering an 18 W commercial lamp. This research proposes a new method of energy harvesting based on inductive electricity.