Triboelectric pixels as building blocks for microscale and large-area integration of drop energy harvesters

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are the most promising technology for harvesting energy from low-frequency liquid flows and impacts such as rain droplets. However, current drop energy harvester technologies suffer from low output power due to limitations in triboelectric materials, suboptimal d...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Ghaffarinejad, Ali, García Casas, Xabier, Núñez-Gálvez, Fernando, Budagosky Marcilla, Jorge Alejandro, Fortio Godinho, Vanda Cristina, López Santos, Carmen, Sánchez Valencia, Juan Ramón, Barranco Quero, Ángel, Borrás, Ana
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/169853
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/169853
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.device.2024.100566
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Triboelectric nanogenerators
TENG
D-TENG
Rain panel
Hydrophobicity
Thin-film technology
Microelectrode
Double electric layer
Surface charging
Transparent conducting oxides
Descripción
Sumario:Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are the most promising technology for harvesting energy from low-frequency liquid flows and impacts such as rain droplets. However, current drop energy harvester technologies suffer from low output power due to limitations in triboelectric materials, suboptimal device designs, and the inability to fully capture the kinetic energy of falling drops. This article introduces a microscale TENG capable of efficiently converting drop impact energy into electrical power in a single, rapid step. The device features a capacitive structure that enhances energy conversion through instantaneous capacitance changes when the drops contact the submillimetric top electrodes. This compact design establishes a path toward the development of dense arrays and rain panels and is adaptable to various liquids, scales, triboelectric surfaces, and thin-film configurations, including flexible and transparent materials.