Non-contact cylindrical rotating triboelectric nanogenerator for harvesting kinetic energy from hydraulics

Hydraulics provide a unique and widely existed mechanical energy source around us, such as in water or oil pipes, and sewers. Here, a non-contact cylindrical rotating triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) was developed to harvest the mechanical energy from water flows. Operation of the TENG was based on the non-contact free-rotating between a curved Cu foil and a flexible nanostructured fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) polymer film. The free-standing distance between two rotating interfaces avoided abrading of electrode materials. The TENG was able to effectively convert mechanical energy of the water flow into electricity. When driven by water flow, the output voltage and current of the TENG reached 1,670 V and 13.4 μA, respectively. Without any energy storage component, the produced electricity could instantaneously power 12 white light emitting diodes (LEDs) bulbs and a digital timer. This non-contact rotating TENG would provide new opportunities for harvesting energy from many types of hydraulics as a self-sustainable power source for sensing, detection, and protection.