Charge Pumping Triboelectric Nanogenerator with Dust Clearance and Elastic Support for Wind Energy Harvesting

Abstract

Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) as an energy harvester faces the challenges of low surficial charge density, dust generation in friction and soft contact within dielectrics. Accordingly, a charge pumping triboelectric nanogenerator with a tubular-plate coupled structure is proposed to address the above challenges and is used to harvest wind energy. It mainly consists of a top tubular TENG and a bottom plate TENG, synchronously driven by an unidirectionally open-closed fan blade through a shared shaft. The eccentric couple produced by the fan blade enables unidirectional rotation when wind blows in any direction, providing continuous impetus for electricity generation. Charge pumping technology is applied in top TENG to enhance surficial charge density and outputting electricity in way of noncontact electrostatic induction. The simulation with COMSOL software is applied to obtain the distribution of electric field and potential during the relative motion of two tubular electrodes. Lint blade and steel sheet are utilized in bottom TENG for dust clearance and elastic support, respectively. Consequently, the voltage is increased by 15.5 times and the current about 3.0 times with the charge pumping strategy. The dust clearance and elastic support can improve the output current. The total output voltage is up to 2.8 kV and the current is 103.0 μA at 200 rpm, generating a peak power of 184.9 mW and an average power of 6.4 mW. A buck circuit is used in the output circuit to lower and stabilize the output voltage for low-voltage electronics. The output electricity can support the work of a thermo-hygrometer, two linear lamps (10W), two circular LED lamps (18W), and light 417 big LEDs with a diameter of 10 mm, serving as a continuous energy source in wilds.

Keywords: charge pumping strategy, triboelectric nanogenerator, noncontact electrostatic induction, dust clearance, wind energy harvesting