Smart triboelectric floor based on calcium silicate-carbon composite for energy harvesting and motion sensing applications

Abstract

Harnessing mechanical energy from footsteps has been proposed using a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) fabricated from calcium silicate (CS) composites, which are the main components of cement materials. Electrical output performance of a CS-based TENG is enhanced by addition of conductive Super P® carbon black (SP). A 0.04 wt% addition of SP to CS materials is found to increase the dielectric constant and contributes to the intensified triboelectric charge density and hence the electrical output of the CS TENG. The CS-SP TENG exhibits a significant improvement in power output that is over ten times greater than unmodified CS TENG. Furthermore, incorporation of SP also enhances crystallization which reduces the formation of air voids. This leads to a changed surface morphology and improved compressive strength of the CS composite. A smart floor application of the CS-SP TENG to convert mechanical energy from human steps into electricity and motion sensor are also demonstrated.