Miniaturized and High Volumetric Energy Density Power Supply Device Based on a Broad-Frequency Vibration Driven Triboelectric Nanogenerator

Abstract

The widespread vibration is one of the most promising energy sources for IoT and small sensors, and broad-frequency vibration energy harvesting is important. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) can convert vibration energy into electrical energy through triboelectricity and electrostatic induction, providing an effective solution to the collection of broad-frequency vibration energy. Also, the power supply in constrained and compact spaces has been a long-standing challenge. Here, a miniaturized power supply (MPS) based on a broad-frequency vibration-driven triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is developed. The size of the MPS is 38 mm × 26 mm × 20 mm, which can adapt to most space-limited environments. The TENG device is optimized through theoretical mechanical modeling for the external stimuli, it can efficiently harvest vibrational energy in the frequency range of 1–100 Hz and has a high output power density of 134.11 W/cm3. The developed device demonstrates its practical application potential in powering small electronics like LEDs, watches, and timers.