Multi-plate structured triboelectric nanogenerator based on cycloidal displacement for harvesting hydroenergy

Abstract

Hydroenergy is a widely distributed renewable energy source. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have recently been extensively studied as a powerful approach for harvesting mechanical energy. In this paper, a multi-plate structured triboelectric nanogenerator (MPS-TENG) based on cycloidal displacement is proposed for harvesting hydroenergy. The MPS-TENG consists simply of a transmission component, the core components of which are a wave plate and a power generation component that has a multi-plate structure working in contact-separation mode. Rotational motion driven by water flow is converted into linear reciprocating motion by the design of the wave plates. The impact of the transmission process is reduced or eliminated by the wave plate surface design, and high contact-separation motion frequency is obtained by setting the number of waves on the wave plate. The power generation component is a multi-plate structure that improves power generation performance. The peak output power of the MPS-TENG is about 225 μW. The MPS-TENG is tested in a simulated water flow environment to verify its practical application. The 106 light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can be lighted up by the MPS-TENG using the rectifier circuit at a water flow rate of 55 L/min. The MPS-TENG can power a commercial sensor by a rectifier circuit with capacitors connected in parallel, using the same water flow rate. The MPS-TENG has the capacity to harvest energy for self-powered sensors from the environment.