Rational Structure Optimized Hybrid Nanogenerator for Highly Efficient Water Wave Energy Harvesting

Abstract

Water wave energy is a promising renewable energy source that may alleviate the rising concerns over current resource depletion, but it is rarely exploited due to the lack of efficient energy harvesting technologies. In this work, a hybrid system with a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and an electromagnetic generator (EMG) based on an optimized inner topological structure is reported to effectively harvest water wave energy. The TENG with etched polytetrafluoroethylene films and Cu electrodes utilizing the contact‐freestanding mode is designed into a cubic structure, in which the EMG is well hybridized. An integration of TENG and EMG achieves mutual compensation of their own merits, enabling the hybrid system to deliver satisfactory output over a broad range of operation frequency. The output performance of TENG with varied inner topological structures is experimentally and theoretically compared, and a concept is proposed to further clarify the energy conversion efficiency, which should be considered in designing energy harvesting devices. The influences of oscillation frequency, amplitude, and dielectric materials on the output performance of the hybrid system are comprehensively studied on different platforms. Furthermore, the optimum operation frequency ranges for TENG and EMG are concluded. The proposed hybrid nanogenerator renders an effective approach toward large‐scale blue energy harvesting over a broad frequency range.

Recent advances in ocean wave energy harvesting by triboelectric nanogenerator: An overview

“…Under the action of high and low waves, the slider moves up and down in the barrel, cutting the magnetic induction wire while sliding across the dielectric layers at different positions so that TENG generates an alternating current. For the TENG hybrid generator based on the contact-separation mode, its working principle is the same as that of the EMG hybrid generator based on the rotary cutting mode [87][88][89]. The TENG friction layer is periodically contacted and separated by magnetic force, thereby generating alternating current.…”

“…Compared with rigid connections, flexible connections are a better network strategy. To study the specific connection structure between units, as shown in Figure 11b, Wang et al [88] produced a hinged connection structure that could easily link the proposed TENG together to form a network.…”

Quantum Dots for Hybrid Energy Harvesting: From Integration to Piezo‐Phototronics

“…This is because the piezoelectric charges are related to the crystal structure whereas the triboelectric charges are associated with the contact electrification effect. The typical materials for a mechanical energy harvester are ZnO NWs, PbZrTiO, BaTiO, and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)‐based polymers for a PENG, and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and PVDF‐based polymers for a TENG …”

Blue Energy Collection toward All‐Hours Self‐Powered Chemical Energy Conversion

“…[ 6–12 ] Many efforts with TENGs have already been undertaken to achieve the efficient collection of blue energy. [ 13–20 ] However, considering that the richest blue energy is generally in faraway ocean, it is still a great challenge to effectively use the generated electrical energy from TENGs when the cable for the electricity transmission is impractical.…”