The population growth model of electrostatic charges: A novel concept for engineering optimal performance triboelectric nanogenerators

Abstract

Lateral sliding triboelectric nanogenerators LS-TENGs promise to combine low cost and high-efficiency mechanical energy harvesting at low frequency with the advantages of light weight and simple device architecture. To date, device power generation optimization has only been addressed on the framework of the optimal load resistance through the maximum power transfer theorem (MPTT). However, MPTT is a concept to optimize the power transferred from TENGs to loads, but not for optimizing the power generated by the TENG itself. In response, this work reports a concept that resembles the population growth model of species for designing enhanced performance LS-TENGs with optimal charge-generating rate. In this way, devices designed under the proposed concept possess a significantly enhanced optimal charge and power generation rate up to 3-fold and 8-fold respectively superior to those found for conventional rectangular TENGs with similar capacity, which allows us power up sustainably for hours low power consumption devices with a few minutes of mechanical energy harvesting. Thereby, this model aids in the development of enhanced performance LS-TENGs capable of collecting mechanical vibrations and optimally converting them into electrical energy by breaking the limits set by the MPTT, as well as opening a route towards batteryless power autonomy.