Fabrication and Optimization of Additively Manufactured Hybrid Nanogenerators for Wearable Devices

Abstract

This paper aims to fabricate a hybrid piezoelectric/triboelectric nanogenerator via fusion deposition modeling as a proof of concept in the wearable device industry. The nanogenerator structure consists of a TPU/ZnO nanocomposite and an Ecoflex layer. The nanocomposite layer is fabricated using two different weight percentages (15 wt% and 20 wt%) and poled piezoelectric sheets, generating 2.63 V to 3.46 V. Variations regarding the nanogenerator’s physical parameters were implemented to examine the effect on nanogenerator performance under different frequencies. The hybrid nanogenerator enabled energy harvesting for wearable devices. It was strapped on the side of the wrist to generate a potential difference with the motion of the wrist, creating a contact separation piezoelectric/triboelectric nanogenerator. Furthermore, a piezoelectric sheet was placed at the bottom of the wrist to harvest energy. The hybrid nanogenerator provided a maximum triboelectric response of 5.75 V and a maximum piezoelectric response of 2.85 V during wrist motion. The piezoelectric nanogenerator placed at the bottom of the wrist generated up to 4.78 V per wrist motion.