Boosting power output of fluttering triboelectric nanogenerator based on charge excitation through multi-utilization of wind

Abstract

Fluttering triboelectric nanogenerator (F-TENG) is a promising technology for harvesting small-scale wind energy, which is not possible when using conventional electromagnetic generators. However, the output power of F-TENGs needs to be further enhanced to facilitate their use in practical applications. Herein, we propose a novel strategy to improve the output power of F-TENGs based on charge excitation through multi-utilization of wind, wherein the waste wind energy passing through an F-TENG is re-utilized to increase its output performance. The proposed charge exciting fluttering TENG (CEF-TENG) based on this strategy has a peak power output of 38.16 mW at the input wind velocity of 6 m/s, which is remarkably higher than the power outputs of the existing F-TENGs. In addition, owing to the high output frequency characteristics of the F-TENG and the charge excitation method, the electrical output of the CEF-TENG reaches maximum rapidly, in just a few seconds. This work provides an effective strategy for boosting the output performance of F-TENGs through charge excitation based on the multi-utilization of wind energy. © 2023