Work

Double impact triboelectric nanogenerators for harvesting broadband vibrations from vehicles

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) can convert ambient mechanical energy in the form of vibrations into useable electricity. Vehicle vibrations are a wasted source of ambient energy that can be harvested using TENGs. These vibrations can range from very low input frequency at the rear deck to high frequency at the front dashboard. To effectively harvest such variable frequency vibrations, the vibration TENG should be capable of broadband operation. For this purpose, in this work we propose and systematically investigate a double-impact vibration TENG (DIV-TENG) for harvesting vehicle vibrations. First, the system design in terms of mass and stiffness was determined using MATLAB simulations. Next, the behavior of the DIV-TENG under very low input frequency and high input frequency was experimentally investigated and the simulation results were verified. Finally, a multi-unit DIV-TENG integrated tray was installed in a vehicle and the potential of DIV-TENG in harvesting vibrations generated during driving was demonstrated. Thus, through this work we showed the viability of effectively harvesting vehicle vibrations using a TENG and hope to promote its adoption in the automotive industry.

Source: Functional Composites and Structures

DOI: 10.1088/2631-6331/ab376f

Authors: Wook Kim, Divij Bhatia, Hee Jae Hwang, Kyungwho Choi, Dukhyun Choi

Institutions: Kyung Hee University, Korea Railroad Research Institute

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Research Foundation, National Research Foundation of Korea, Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea