3D double-faced interlock fabric triboelectric nanogenerator for bio-motion energy harvesting and as self-powered stretching and 3D tactile sensors

Combining triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and textile materials, wearable electronic devices show great application prospects in biomotion energy harvesting and multifunctional self-power sensors in this coming intelligent era. However, fabrication method by rigidly stitching two or more individual fabrics together and working mode that must cooperate with external materials, make textile-based TENG bulky, stiff, uncomfortable and hinder their range of application. Here, by using a double needle bed flat knitting machine technology, a 3D double faced interlock fabric TENG (3DFIF-TENG) is designed as self-powered, stretchable and substrate-free wearable TENG sensors (such as a bending sensor to detect arm bending degree, pressure sensors) and energy harvesting devices. Besides, due to the unique 3D structure and after improving the structure by knitting a woven fabric-TENG in the middle layer, the 3DFIF-TENG can be further used as a multifunctional sensors, such as a 3D tactile sensor. Besides, by knitting a woven fabric-TENG in the middle layer of the 3DFIF-TENG, it can be further used as a multifunctional sensor, such as a 3D tactile sensor. The substrate-free and 3D structure design in this paper may provide a promising direction for self-powered, stretchable wearable devices in energy harvesting, human motion or robot movement detection, and smart prosthetics.     

Moisture-Enabled Electricity Generation: From Physics and Materials to Self-Powered Applications

The exploration of the utilization of sustainable, green energy represents one way in which it is possible to ameliorate the growing threat of the global environmental issues and the crisis in energy. Moisture, which is ubiquitous on Earth, contains a vast reservoir of low-grade energy in the form of gaseous water molecules and water droplets. It has now been found that a number of functionalized materials can generate electricity directly from their interaction with moisture. This suggests that electrical energy can be harvested from atmospheric moisture and enables the creation of a new range of self-powered devices. Herein, the basic mechanisms of moisture-induced electricity generation are discussed, the recent advances in materials (including carbon nanoparticles, graphene materials, metal oxide nanomaterials, biofibers, and polymers) for harvesting electrical energy from moisture are summarized, and some strategies for improving energy conversion efficiency and output power in these devices are provided. The potential applications of moisture electrical generators in self-powered electronics, healthcare, security, information storage, artificial intelligence, and Internet-of-things are also discussed. Some remaining challenges are also considered, together with a number of suggestions for potential new developments of this emerging technology.     

Holistically Engineered Polymer–Polymer and Polymer–Ion Interactions in Biocompatible Polyvinyl Alcohol Blends for High-Performance Triboelectric Devices in Self-Powered Wearable Cardiovascular Monitorings

The capability of sensor systems to efficiently scavenge their operational power from stray, weak environmental energies through sustainable pathways could enable viable schemes for self-powered health diagnostics and therapeutics. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) can effectively transform the otherwise wasted environmental, mechanical energy into electrical power. Recent advances in TENGs have resulted in a significant boost in output performance. However, obstacles hindering the development of efficient triboelectric devices based on biocompatible materials continue to prevail. Being one of the most widely used polymers for biomedical applications, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) presents exciting opportunities for biocompatible, wearable TENGs. Here, the holistic engineering and systematic characterization of the impact of molecular and ionic fillers on PVA blends’ triboelectric performance is presented for the first time. Triboelectric devices built with optimized PVA-gelatin composite films exhibit stable and robust triboelectricity outputs. Such wearable devices can detect the imperceptible skin deformation induced by the human pulse and capture the cardiovascular information encoded in the pulse signals with high fidelity. The gained fundamental understanding and demonstrated capabilities enable the rational design and holistic engineering of novel materials for more capable biocompatible triboelectric devices that can continuously monitor vital physiological signals for self-powered health diagnostics and therapeutics.     

Energy Harvesting Research: The Road from Single Source to Multisource

Energy harvesting technology may be considered an ultimate solution to replace batteries and provide a long‐term power supply for wireless sensor networks. Looking back into its research history, individual energy harvesters for the conversion of single energy sources into electricity are developed first, followed by hybrid counterparts designed for use with multiple energy sources. Very recently, the concept of a truly multisource energy harvester built from only a single piece of material as the energy conversion component is proposed. This review, from the aspect of materials and device configurations, explains in detail a wide scope to give an overview of energy harvesting research. It covers single‐source devices including solar, thermal, kinetic and other types of energy harvesters, hybrid energy harvesting configurations for both single and multiple energy sources and single material, and multisource energy harvesters. It also includes the energy conversion principles of photovoltaic, electromagnetic, piezoelectric, triboelectric, electrostatic, electrostrictive, thermoelectric, pyroelectric, magnetostrictive, and dielectric devices. This is one of the most comprehensive reviews conducted to date, focusing on the entire energy harvesting research scene and providing a guide to seeking deeper and more specific research references and resources from every corner of the scientific community.     

Scalable Fabrication of MXene-PVDF Nanocomposite Triboelectric Fibers via Thermal Drawing

In the data-driven world, textile is a valuable resource for improving the quality of life through continuous monitoring of daily activities and physiological signals of humans. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) are an attractive option for self-powered sensor development by coupling energy harvesting and sensing ability. In this study, to the best of the knowledge, scalable fabrication of Ti₃C₂T_x MXene-embedded polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanocomposite fiber using a thermal drawing process is presented for the first time. The output open circuit voltage and short circuit current show 53% and 58% improvement, respectively, compared to pristine PVDF fiber. The synergistic interaction between the surface termination groups of MXene and polar PVDF polymer enhances the performance of the fiber. The flexibility of the fiber enables the weaving of fabric TENG devices for large-area applications. The fabric TENG (3 × 2 cm²) demonstrates a power density of 40.8 mW m⁻² at the matching load of 8 MΩ by maintaining a stable performance over 12 000 cycles. Moreover, the fabric TENG has shown the capability of energy harvesting by operating a digital clock and a calculator. A distributed self-powered sensor for human activities and walking pattern monitoring are demonstrated with the fabric.     

Analysis of ac-dc conversion for energy harvesting using an electrostrictive polymer P(VDF-TrFE-CFE)

Harvesting systems capable of transforming unused environmental energy into useful electrical energy have been extensively studied for the last two decades. The recent development of electrostrictive polymers has generated new opportunities for harvesting energy. The contribution of this study lies in the design and validation of electrostrictive polymer- based harvesters able to deliver dc output voltage to the load terminal, making the practical application of such material for self-powered devices much more realistic. Theoretical analysis supported by experimental investigations showed that an energy harvesting module with ac-to-dc conversion allows scavenging power up to 7 μW using a bias electric field of 10 V/μm and a transverse strain of 0.2%. This represents a power density of 280 μW/cm(3) at 100 Hz, which is much higher than the corresponding values of most piezo-based harvesters.     

基于振动能量回收的自供电MR阻尼器集成与试验研究

为使磁流变(MR)阻尼器摆脱对外部电源的依赖,基于振动能量回收技术构建了由旋转式永磁直流电机与只需较小能量供给的MR阻尼器集成的自供电MR阻尼器减振系统,测试了能量回收电机的电学性能与自供电MR阻尼器的力学性能,并定性分析了自供电MR阻尼器被动控制的减振机理。结果表明：自供电MR阻尼器可行性强,性能优越,且兼具速度反馈与离复位控制特性。     

Development,applications, and future directions of triboelectric nanogenerators

Since the invention of the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) in 2012, it has become one of the most vital innovations in energy harvesting technologies. The TENG has seen enormous progress to date, particularly in applications for energy harvesting and self-powered sensing. It starts with the simple working principles of the triboelectric effect and electrostatic induction, but can scavenge almost any kind of ambient mechanical energy in our daily life into electricity. Extraordinary output performance optimization of the TENG has been achieved, with high area power density and energy conversion efficiency. Moreover, TENGs can also be utilized as self-powered active sensors to monitor many environmental parameters. This review describes the recent progress in mainstream energy harvesting and self-powered sensing research based on TENG technology. The birth and development of the TENG are introduced, following which structural designs and performance optimizations for output performance enhancement of the TENG are discussed. The major applications of the TENG as a sustainable power source or a self-powered sensor are presented. The TENG, with rationally designed structures, can convert irregular and mostly low-frequency mechanical energies from the environment, such as human motion, mechanical vibration, moving automobiles, wind, raindrops, and ocean waves. In addition, the development of self-powered active sensors for a variety of environmental simulations based on the TENG is presented. The TENG plays a great role in promoting the development of emerging Internet of Things, which can make everyday objects connect more smartly and energy-efficiently in the coming years. Finally,the future directions and perspectives of the TENG are outlined. The TENG is not only a sustainable micro-power source for small devices, but also serves as a potential macro-scale generator of power from water waves in the future.

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Polymer-based nanopiezoelectric generators for energy harvesting applications

Abstract

Energy harvesting from ambient vibrations originating from sources such as moving parts of machines, fluid flow and even body movement, has enormous potential for small power applications, such as wireless sensors, flexible, portable and wearable electronics, and bio-medical implants, to name a few. Nanoscale piezoelectric energy harvesters, also known as nanogenerators (NGs), can directly convert small scale ambient vibrations into electrical energy. Scavenging power from ubiquitous vibrations in this way offers an attractive route to provide power to small devices, which would otherwise require direct or indirect connection to electrical power infrastructure. Ceramics such as lead zirconium titanate and semiconductors such as zinc oxide are the most widely used piezoelectric energy harvesting materials. This review focuses on a different class of piezoelectric materials, namely, ferroelectric polymers, such as polyvinlyidene fluoride (PVDF) and its copolymers. These are potentially superior energy harvesting materials as they are flexible, robust, lightweight, easy and cheap to fabricate, as well as being lead free and biocompatible. We review some of the theoretical and experimental aspects of piezoelectric energy recovery using Polymer-based NGs with a novel emphasis on coupling to mechanical resonance, which is relevant for efficient energy harvesting from typically low frequency (<1 kHz) ambient vibrations. The realisation of highly efficient and low cost piezoelectric polymer NGs with reliable energy harvesting performance could lead to wide ranging energy solutions for the next generation of autonomous electronic and wireless devices.     

Optimization and improvement of thermal energy harvesting by using pyroelectric materials

We deal with the thermal energy which is one of the ambient energy sources surely exploitable, but it has not been much interest as the mechanical energy. In this paper, our aim is to use thermal energy and show that it’s an important source for producing the electrical energy through pyroelectric effect which is the property of some dielectric materials to show a spontaneous electrical polarization versus temperature. In this context, we present a concept to harvest a thermal energy using infrared rays and pyroelectric effect.The pyroelectric material used in this work can generate an electrical voltage when it subjected to a temperature change which will be ensured by the use of infrared lamp. Our experimental results show that the electrical voltage, current and harvested power increased significantly when increasing the area of the pyroelectric element. The experimental results show also that with this simple concept we harvested a heavy amount value of power which will certainly be useful in an extensive range of applications, including sensors and infrared detection. These results shed light on the thermoelectric energy conversion by Ceramic lead zirconate titanate (PZT) buzzer having the pyroelectric property.     

A Light Harvesting,Self‐Powered Monolith Tactile Sensor Based on Electric Field Induced Effects in MAPbI3 Perovskite

Organolead trihalide perovskite MAPbI₃ shows a distinctive combination of properties such as being ferroelectric and semiconducting, with ion migration effects under poling by electric fields. The combination of its ferroelectric and semiconducting nature is used to make a light harvesting, self‐powered tactile sensor. This sensor interfaces ZnO nanosheets as a pressure‐sensitive drain on the MAPbI₃ film and once poled is operational for at least 72 h with just light illumination. The sensor is monolithic in structure, has linear response till 76 kPa, and is able to operate continuously as the energy harvesting mechanism is decoupled from its pressure sensing mechanism. It has a sensitivity of 0.57 kPa^?1, which can be modulated by the strength of the poling field. The understanding of these effects in perovskite materials and their application in power source free devices are of significance to a wide array of fields where these materials are being researched and applied.     

Optimal design of laminated piezocomposite energy harvesting devices considering stress constraints

Energy harvesting devices are smart structures capable of converting the mechanical energy (generally, in the form of vibrations) that would be wasted otherwise in the environment into usable electrical energy. Laminated piezoelectric plate and shell structures have been largely used in the design of these devices because of their large generation areas. The design of energy harvesting devices is complex, and they can be efficiently designed by using topology optimization methods (TOM). In this work, the design of laminated piezocomposite energy harvesting devices has been studied using TOM. The energy harvesting performance is improved by maximizing the effective electric power generated by the piezoelectric material, measured at a coupled electric resistor, when subjected to a harmonic excitation. However, harmonic vibrations generate mechanical stress distribution that, depending on the frequency and the amplitude of vibration, may lead to piezoceramic failure. This study advocates using a global stress constraint, which accounts for different failure criteria for different types of materials (isotropic, piezoelectric, and orthotropic). Thus, the electric power is maximized by optimally distributing piezoelectric material, by choosing its polarization sign, and by properly choosing the fiber angles of composite materials to satisfy the global stress constraint. In the TOM formulation, the Piezoelectric Material with Penalization and Polarization material model is applied to distribute piezoelectric material and to choose its polarization sign, and the Discrete Material Optimization method is applied to optimize the composite fiber orientation. The finite element method is adopted to model the structure with a piezoelectric multilayered shell element. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the proposed methodology. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hybrid Energy Harvesters: Toward Sustainable Energy Harvesting

Recently, sustainable green energy harvesting systems have been receiving great attention for their potential use in self‐powered smart wireless sensor network (WSN) systems. In particular, though the developed WSN systems are able to advance public good, very high and long‐term budgets will be required in order to use them to supply electrical energy through temporary batteries or connecting power cables. This report summarizes recent significant progress in the development of hybrid nanogenerators for a sustainable energy harvesting system that use natural and artificial energies such as solar, wind, wave, heat, machine vibration, and automobile noise. It starts with a brief introduction of energy harvesting systems, and then summarizes the different hybrid energy harvesting systems: integration of mechanical and photovoltaic energy harvesters, integration of mechanical and thermal energy harvesters, integration of thermal and photovoltaic energy harvesters, and others. In terms of the reported hybrid nanogenerators, a systematic summary of their structures, working mechanisms, and output performances is provided. Specifically, electromagnetic induction, triboelectric, piezoelectric, photovoltaic, thermoelectric, and pyroelectric effects are reviewed on the basis of the individual and hybrid power performances of hybrid nanogenerators and their practical applications with various device designs. Finally, the perspectives on and challenges in developing high performance and sustainable hybrid nanogenerator systems are presented.     

Pyroelectric energy conversion: optimization principles

In the framework of microgenerators, we present in this paper the key points for energy harvesting from temperature using ferroelectric materials. Thermoelectric devices profit from temperature spatial gradients, whereas ferroelectric materials require temporal fluctuation of temperature, thus leading to different applications targets. Ferroelectric materials may harvest perfectly the available thermal energy whatever the materials properties (limited by Carnot conversion efficiency) whereas thermoelectric material's efficiency is limited by materials properties (ZT figure of merit). However, it is shown that the necessary electric fields for Carnot cycles are far beyond the breakdown limit of bulk ferroelectric materials. Thin films may be an excellent solution for rising up to ultra-high electric fields and outstanding efficiency. Different thermodynamic cycles are presented in the paper: principles, advantages, and drawbacks. Using the Carnot cycle, the harvested energy would be independent of materials properties. However, using more realistic cycles, the energy conversion effectiveness remains dependent on the materials properties as discussed in the paper. A particular coupling factor is defined to quantify and check the effectiveness of pyroelectric energy harvesting. It is defined similarly to an electromechanical coupling factor as k2=p2theta0/(epsilontheta33cE), where p, theta0, epsilontheta33, cE are pyroelectric coefficient, maximum working temperature, dielectric permittivity, and specific heat, respectively. The importance of the electrothermal coupling factor is shown and discussed as an energy harvesting figure of merit. It gives the effectiveness of all techniques of energy harvesting (except the Carnot cycle). It is finally shown that we could reach very high efficiency using 1110.75Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)-0.25PbTiO3 single crystals and synchronized switch harvesting on inductor (almost 50% of Carnot efficiency). Finally, practical implementation key points of pyroelectric energy harvesting are presented showing that the different thermodynamic cycles are feasible and potentially effective, even compared to thermoelectric devices.     

Inhibition and activation of glucose oxidase bioanodes for use in a self-powered EDTA sensor

Self-powered sensors are able to automatically signal the presence of a specific analyte without the aid of an external power source, making them useful as potential devices for batteryless sensing. Here, we present a self-powered enzymatic ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) sensor based on the inhibition and subsequent activation of glucose oxidase (GOx)-based bioelectrodes within the framework of a biofuel cell. Although EDTA is not redox-active, it is detected by the activation of a Cu(2+)-inhibited GOx bioanode in either a typical amperometric sensor (using a standard three-electrode setup) or in a self-powered sensor where the GOx bioanode is coupled to a platinum cathode. The sensors are able to detect concentrations of EDTA that correspond to the amount of Cu(2+) that is used to inhibit the enzymatic electrode. The self-powered sensor shows a greater than 10-fold increase in power output when it is activated by the presence of EDTA. This represents the first time that a non-redox-active analyte has been detected in a self-powered sensor that turns on in the presence of said analyte.     

Hydrophobic organic coating based water--solid TENG for water-flow energy collection and self-powered cathodic protection

Water–solid triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), as new energy collection devices, have attracted increasing attention in ocean energy harvesting and self-powered sensing. Polyacrylic acid (PAA) coating, usually used on the surface of marine equipment, has the property of anti-aging and anti-wear but limits triboelectrical output when used with TENGs. In this paper, polyacrylic acid coating was modified with fluorinated polyacrylate resin (F-PAA) to increase its triboelectrical output, by 6 times, and also to increase its anti-corrosion property. In addition, the corrosion resistance property can be further enhanced by cathodic protection using the electrical output generated by the water-flow triboelectrical energy transfer process. Given their easy fabrication, water-flow energy harvesting, and corrosion resistance, PAA/F-PAA coating-based TENGs have promising applications in river and ocean energy collection and corrosion protection.     

A Review on Piezoelectric,Magnetostrictive, and Magnetoelectric Materials and Device Technologies for Energy Harvesting Applications

In the coming era of the internet of things (IoT), wireless sensor networks that monitor, detect, and gather data will play a crucial role in advancements in public safety, human healthcare, industrial automation, and energy management. Batteries are currently the power source of choice for operating wireless network devices due to their ease of installation; however, they require periodic replacement due to capacity limitations. Within the scope of the IoT, battery maintenance of the trillion sensor nodes that may be implemented will be practically infeasible from environmental, resource, and labor cost perspectives. In considering individual self‐powered sensor nodes, the idea of harvesting energy from ambient vibrations, heat, and electromagnetic waves has recently triggered noticeable research interest in the academic community. This paper gives an overview of energy harvesting materials and systems. Three main categories are presented: piezoelectric ceramics/polymers, magnetostrictive alloys, and magnetoelectric (ME) multiferroic composites. State‐of‐the‐art harvesting materials and structures are presented with a focus on characterization, fabrication, modeling and simulation, and durability and reliability. Some perspectives and challenges for the future development of energy harvesting materials are also highlighted.

     

Electrostatic force microscopy as a broadly applicable method for characterizing pyroelectric materials

A general method based on the combination of electrostatic force microscopy with thermal cycling of the substrate holder is presented for direct, nanoscale characterization of the pyroelectric effect in a range of materials and sample configurations using commercial atomic force microscope systems. To provide an example of its broad applicability, the technique was applied to the examination of natural tourmaline gemstones. The method was validated using thermal cycles similar to those experienced in ambient conditions, where the induced pyroelectric response produced localized electrostatic surface charges whose magnitude demonstrated a correlation with the iron content and heat dissipation of each gemstone variety. In addition, the surface charge was shown to persist even at thermal equilibrium. This behavior is attributed to constant, stochastic cooling of the gemstone surface through turbulent contact with the surrounding air and indicates a potential utility for energy harvesting in applications including environmental sensors and personal electronics. In contrast to previously reported methods, ours has a capacity to carry out such precise nanoscale measurements with little or no restriction on the sample of interest, and represents a powerful new tool for the characterization of pyroelectric materials and devices.     

Carbon‐Nanotube‐Based Thermoelectric Materials and Devices

Conversion of waste heat to voltage has the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of a number of critical energy sectors, such as the transportation and electricity‐generation sectors, and manufacturing processes. Thermal energy is also an abundant low‐flux source that can be harnessed to power portable/wearable electronic devices and critical components in remote off‐grid locations. As such, a number of different inorganic and organic materials are being explored for their potential in thermoelectric‐energy‐harvesting devices. Carbon‐based thermoelectric materials are particularly attractive due to their use of nontoxic, abundant source‐materials, their amenability to high‐throughput solution‐phase fabrication routes, and the high specific energy (i.e., W g^?1) enabled by their low mass. Single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) represent a unique 1D carbon allotrope with structural, electrical, and thermal properties that enable efficient thermoelectric‐energy conversion. Here, the progress made toward understanding the fundamental thermoelectric properties of SWCNTs, nanotube‐based composites, and thermoelectric devices prepared from these materials is reviewed in detail. This progress illuminates the tremendous potential that carbon‐nanotube‐based materials and composites have for producing high‐performance next‐generation devices for thermoelectric‐energy harvesting.     

共振频率可调式非线性压电振动能量收集器

振动能量回收技术能够将环境中的机械振动能转换成电能,进而为微功耗装置供电,具有良好的应用前景。设计了一种利用压电材料的新型振动能量收集器,该机电耦合结构由一对非对称压电悬臂梁组成,悬臂梁末端固定有永磁体,利用永磁体产生的非线性力,实现了悬臂梁共振频率与外界激振频率的匹配调节。提出了该结构的理论模型,借助Matlab/Simulink数值分析软件对理论模型进行了仿真分析,并通过实验进行了验证。实验结果表明外界激励加速度幅值为3 m/s~2的时,结构即能实现较大频带范围内的频率匹配调节,频带范围不低于6.5Hz,最大回收功率不低于2 mW。