Demonstration of friction-based triboelectric nanogenerator and integration in a power-balanced fully autonomous system

Abstract

Abstract The deployment of IoTs and mobile objects heavily relies on batteries as power sources for integration to new applications. Alternatively, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) can be seen as a promising technology by harvesting mechanical energy for powering small-scale electronics. The integration of TENGs into practical applications within a limited power requirement, is still unexplored considering its attractive properties. In this work, a state of the art multilayer integrated TENG structure with high output power density is devised compatible with practical applications to promote the technological maturity of TENGs. The proposed system consists of a sliding based TENG power source integrated to drive an e-ink™ display screen application controlled by an efficient power management unit. Through simultaneous investigation of the triboelectric power source and the application system integration focusing on power balance, an optimized self-sufficient system has been demonstrated by using a well-designed hand powered sliding motion test platform, respectively. The integrated system reaches a maximum output power density of 750\xa0mW\xa0m−2, adequate to drive the target application. The realization of an efficient and low cost integration with reliable power output performance showcases TENG as an attractive potential for the next generation of autonomous electronic and wireless devices.