Linear-grating hybridized electromagnetic-triboelectric nanogenerator for sustainably powering portable electronics

Utilizing a nanogenerator to scavenge mechanical energy from our living environment is an effective method to solve the power source issue of portable electronics. We report a linear-grating hybridized electromagnetic-triboelectric nanogenerator for scavenging the mechanical energy generated from sliding motions to sustainably power certain portable electronics. The hybridized nanogenerator consists of a slider and a stator in the structural design, and possesses a 66-segment triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and a 9-segment electromagnetic generator (EMG) in the functional design. At a sliding acceleration of 20 m/s², the hybridized nanogenerator can deliver maximum powers of 102.8 mW for the TENG at a loading resistance of 0.4 MΩ and 103.3 mW for the EMG at a loading resistance of 6 kΩ. With an optimal hybridized combination of the TENG with a transformer and the EMG with a power management circuit, a 10 mF capacitor can be easily charged to 2.8 V in 20 s. A packaged hybridized nanogenerator with a light weight of 140 g and small dimensions of 12 cm × 4 cm × 1.6 cm excels in scavenging low-frequency sliding energy to sustainably power portable electronics.