Swing Origami-Structure-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Harvesting Blue Energy toward Marine Environmental Applications

The appearance of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) provides a promising energy technology for harvesting abundant water wave energy. Here, the design and fabrication of a swinging origami-structured TENG (SO-TENG) tailored specifically for water wave energy harvesting are presented. The design incorporates an oscillating structure weighted at the bottom, inducing reciprocating motion propelled by the inertia of passing water waves. This reciprocating motion efficiently converts mechanical into electrical energy through the origami structure. By employing origami as the monomer structure, the surface contact area between friction layers is enhanced, thereby optimizing output performance. the swinging structure, combined with the placement of heavy objects, enhances the folding and contact of the origami, allowing it to operate effectively in low-frequency water wave environments. This configuration exhibits robust power generation capabilities, making it suitable for powering small electronic devices in water wave environments. Furthermore, when applied to metal corrosion protection, the SO-TENG demonstrates notable efficacy. Compared to exposed Q235 carbon steel, Q235 carbon steel protected by SO-TENG exhibits a significant reduction in open-circuit potential drop, approximately 155 mV, indicative of superior anti-corrosion properties. It lays a solid foundation for water wave energy collection and self-powered metal corrosion protection in marine environments.

Nanocomposite Electret Layer Improved Long-Term Stable Solid-Liquid Contact Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Water Wave Energy Harvesting

With the continuous rise of environmental pollution and energy crisis, the global energy revolution is risen. Development of renewable blue energy based on the emerging promising triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) has become an important direction of future energy development. The solid-liquid contact triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has the advantages of flexible structure, easy manufacture, and long-term stability, which makes it easier to integrate and achieve large-scale conversion of wave mechanical energy. However, the electric power output is still not large enough, which limits its practical applications. In this work, a nanocomposite electret layer enhanced solid-liquid contact triboelectric nanogenerator (E-TENG) is proposed for water wave energy harvesting, which can effectively improve the electric output and achieve real-time power supply of wireless sensing. Through introducing a nanocomposite electret layer into flexible multilayer solid-liquid contact TENG, higher power output is achieved. The E-TENG (active size of 50 mm × 49 mm) shows desired output performance, a power density of 521 mW m-2 . The generated electric energy can drive wireless temperature sensing by transmitting wireless signals carrying detection information at the period of ˂5.5 min. This research greatly improves the electric output and provides a solid basis for the industrialization of TENG in blue energy.

A Rotating Triboelectric Nanogenerator Driven by Bidirectional Swing for Water Wave Energy Harvesting

Due to the simple installation and convenient maintenance, the floating water wave energy harvesting devices have significant economic advantages. Mass power density is the most important index to evaluate the advancement of floating wave energy harvesting devices. Herein, a self-adaptive rotating triboelectric nanogenerator (SR-TENG) with a compound pendulum and a functional gear-set is provided for wave energy harvesting. First, a compound pendulum structure with a low center of gravity and high moment of inertia is obtained by the geometric design and mechanical study. Besides, compared with the previous triboelectric nanogenerator with one-way clutch, SR-TENG can harvest twice the kinetic energy utilization through the functional gear-set. Importantly, depending on the structure design, the SR-TENG obtains the average mass power density of 45.18 mW kg-1 under low frequency driving conditions, which is about 10 times the reference electromagnetic generator with a similar structure and size. This result shows that the SR-TENG has a significant advantage in small water wave energy harvesting. These findings provide an important example of the floating water wave energy harvesting devices.

A Spherical Hybrid Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Enhanced Water Wave Energy Harvesting

Water waves are a continuously generated renewable source of energy. However, their random motion and low frequency pose significant challenges for harvesting their energy. Herein, we propose a spherical hybrid triboelectric nanogenerator (SH-TENG) that efficiently harvests the energy of low frequency, random water waves. The SH-TENG converts the kinetic energy of the water wave into solid⁻solid and solid⁻liquid triboelectric energy simultaneously using a single electrode. The electrical output of the SH-TENG for six degrees of freedom of motion in water was investigated. Further, in order to demonstrate hybrid energy harvesting from multiple energy sources using a single electrode on the SH-TENG, the charging performance of a capacitor was evaluated. The experimental results indicate that SH-TENGs have great potential for use in self-powered environmental monitoring systems that monitor factors such as water temperature, water wave height, and pollution levels in oceans.

Silicone-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Water Wave Energy Harvesting

Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has been proven to be efficient for harvesting water wave energy, which is one of the most promising renewable energy sources. In this work, a TENG with a silicone rubber/carbon black composite electrode was designed for converting the water wave energy into electricity. The silicone-based electrode with a soft texture provides a better contact with the dielectric film. Furthermore, a spring structure is introduced to transform low-frequency water wave motions into high-frequency vibrations. They together improve the output performance and efficiency of TENG. The output performances of TENGs are further enhanced by optimizing the triboelectric material pair and tribo-surface area. A spring-assisted TENG device with the segmented silicone rubber-based electrode structure was sealed into a waterproof box, which delivers a maximum power density of 2.40 W m^-3, as triggered by the water waves. The present work provides a new strategy for fabricating high-performance TENG devices by coupling flexible electrodes and spring structure for harvesting water wave energy.

Charging System Optimization of Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Water Wave Energy Harvesting and Storage

Ocean waves are one of the most promising renewable energy sources for large-scope applications due to the abundant water resources on the earth. Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) technology could provide a new strategy for water wave energy harvesting. In this work, we investigated the charging characteristics of utilizing a wavy-structured TENG to charge a capacitor under direct water wave impact and under enclosed ball collision, by combination of theoretical calculations and experimental studies. The analytical equations of the charging characteristics were theoretically derived for the two cases, and they were calculated for various load capacitances, cycle numbers, and structural parameters such as compression deformation depth and ball size or mass. Under the direct water wave impact, the stored energy and maximum energy storage efficiency were found to be controlled by deformation depth, while the stored energy and maximum efficiency can be optimized by the ball size under the enclosed ball collision. Finally, the theoretical results were well verified by the experimental tests. The present work could provide strategies for improving the charging performance of TENGs toward effective water wave energy harvesting and storage.

Structural Optimization of Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Harvesting Water Wave Energy

Ocean waves are one of the most abundant energy sources on earth, but harvesting such energy is rather challenging due to various limitations of current technologies. Recently, networks formed by triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) have been proposed as a promising technology for harvesting water wave energy. In this work, a basic unit for the TENG network was studied and optimized, which has a box structure composed of walls made of TENG composed of a wavy-structured Cu-Kapton-Cu film and two FEP thin films, with a metal ball enclosed inside. By combination of the theoretical calculations and experimental studies, the output performances of the TENG unit were investigated for various structural parameters, such as the size, mass, or number of the metal balls. From the viewpoint of theory, the output characteristics of TENG during its collision with the ball were numerically calculated by the finite element method and interpolation method, and there exists an optimum ball size or mass to reach maximized output power and electric energy. Moreover, the theoretical results were well verified by the experimental tests. The present work could provide guidance for structural optimization of wavy-structured TENGs for effectively harvesting water wave energy toward the dream of large-scale blue energy.