Nano-Micro Letters (May 2018)

Triboelectric–Electromagnetic Hybrid Generator for Harvesting Blue Energy

  • Huiyun Shao,
  • Ping Cheng,
  • Ruixuan Chen,
  • Lingjie Xie,
  • Na Sun,
  • Qingqing Shen,
  • Xiaoping Chen,
  • Qianqian Zhu,
  • Yi Zhang,
  • Yina Liu,
  • Zhen Wen,
  • Xuhui Sun

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-018-0207-3
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 3
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Abstract Progress has been developed in harvesting low-frequency and irregular blue energy using a triboelectric–electromagnetic hybrid generator in recent years. However, the design of the high-efficiency, mechanically durable hybrid structure is still challenging. In this study, we report a fully packaged triboelectric–electromagnetic hybrid generator (TEHG), in which magnets were utilized as the trigger to drive contact–separation-mode triboelectric nanogenerators (CS-TENGs) and coupled with copper coils to operate rotary freestanding-mode electromagnetic generators (RF-EMGs). The magnet pairs that produce attraction were used to transfer the external mechanical energy to the CS-TENGs, and packaging of the CS-TENG part was achieved to protect it from the ambient environment. Under a rotatory speed of 100 rpm, the CS-TENGs enabled the TEHG to deliver an output voltage, current, and average power of 315.8 V, 44.6 μA, and ~ 90.7 μW, and the output of the RF-EMGs was 0.59 V, 1.78 mA, and 79.6 μW, respectively. The cylinder-like structure made the TEHG more easily driven by water flow and demonstrated to work as a practical power source to charge commercial capacitors. It can charge a 33 μF capacitor from 0 to 2.1 V in 84 s, and the stored energy in the capacitor can drive an electronic thermometer and form a self-powered water-temperature sensing system.

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