Modeling and optimization of a spherical triboelectric generator

A detailed geometric analysis of spherical triboelectric nanogenerators is presented. In comparison with earlier works on spherical triboelectric generators, the general case where the moving dielectric rolls on the inside surface of the larger sphere of the TENG is discussed in terms of maximum energy harvesting. An optimization analysis of geometrical parameters allows various cases of electrode geometry, either in the form of a spherical circle, spherical ellipse, spherical rectangle, or spherical isosceles trapezium, to be solved. The analytical insight and computational effective models provided by differential geometry make the mathematical model superior compared to standard three-dimensional (3D) numerical methods.