Magnetic lifting triboelectric nanogenerators (ml-TENG) for energy harvesting and active sensing

Abstract

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) have been reported with the advantages of high adaptability and easy integration in recent years, which, however, have been facing with the challenge of effective stimuli in different applications. In this study, we develop magnetic lifting triboelectric nanogenerators (ml-TENG) for energy harvesting and active sensing under cyclic loading, such as traffic. The ml-TENG take advantage of magnetic force to provide repulsive force to trigger for relative displacement between the electrode and dielectric layers in the sliding mode. Experimental and numerical studies are conducted to investigate the electrical performance of the ml-TENG under cyclic loading. The open-circuit voltage of 4 V and output power of 340 µW per capsule are obtained. In the end, we develop a self-powered velocity active sensing system using the ml-TENG, and the field test is conducted to obtain the maximum open-circuit voltage of 7.2 V at the velocity of 15 km/h. The reported ml-TENG provide a powerful tool to develop active sensing systems for real-world applications, such as velocity detection.