High-performance press-driven triboelectric nanogenerator based on a gear acceleration structure and its application in ultraviolet sensors

Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is an innovative energy technology that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy by utilizing the triboelectric effect and the principle of static electric induction. Rotary triboelectric nanogenerator (R-TENG) can collect mechanical energy from the surrounding environment, but its shortcomings such as too large collection device and insufficient wear resistance hinder its further development. In this study, we propose a high-performance press-driven rotation triboelectric nanogenerator (HPR-TENG), which uses a gear acceleration structure to achieve efficient energy conversion by pressing, and significantly improves the output performance and durability of the device through a charge supplement strategy. At the same time, the device size is reduced to the portable range, which is more suitable for the power needs of mobile or miniaturized sensor networks. The experimental results show that the output performance can be improved by decreasing the polar distance and increasing the rotational speed. At 600 rpm, the peak-to-peak output voltage, peak-to-peak output current and charge transfer of HPR-TENG are 3128 V, 221 μA and 492 nC, respectively. The output remains stable after 800,000 cycles, proving its excellent stability. The output power reaches a maximum of 344 mW at a load of 3 × 10⁷ Ω HPR-TENG can collect kinetic and mechanical energy generated by a person to provide a stable power supply for cutting-edge high-voltage breakdown sensor systems, enabling simple and efficient inert gas or ultraviolet sensors. The proposed self-powered ultraviolet (UV) sensor, with its simple, low-cost design, has broad industrial and Internet of Things (IoT) applications, such as powering wearable health monitors, industrial condition sensors, and smart agriculture systems.