Modeling and simulation of triboelectric nanogenerator for energy harvesting using COMSOL Multiphysics® and optimization on thickness of flexible polymer

Abstract

The project involves the simulation of an organic/polymer-based Tribo-Electric Nano Generator (TENG), to generate electricity from the vast mechanical energy wasted in the form of friction from human footfalls. The energy conversion in the device is achieved by the triboelectric effect, which is the electrostatic effect where, the interaction between 2 materials that vary in degree of polarity of triboelectricity, generates electricity. The complexity in process and need of multiple fabrication technologies, wide range of characterization, cost and time involved in actual experimental process in working with new materials or with multi material systems and the possibility of understanding is invariably reduced using the process of simulation. The structures simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics® 5.3, consists of PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane), gold, and gold nano-particles on PMMA (Polymethylmethacrylate), with gold replaced by aluminum and with copper for experimentation, with PDMS polymer thickness optimized to 10 µm, generating maximum voltage in the order of 103 Volts. The expected power generated by this vertical contact mode generator with gold-coated electrodes is 15mW.