Design and evaluate the wave driven- triboelectric nanogenerator under external wave parameters: Experiment and simulation

Wave energy is an emerging technology that has been generating interest as an alternative renewable energy source. Wave energy uses the vertical movement of the surface water that produce tidal waves. The emerging triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) provides an excellent capacity to harvest electrical energy from wave energy. In this study, a wave driven (WD)-TENG prototype has been designed based on the contact and separation mechanism and cost-effectively fabricated by using recyclable materials and 3D printing technologies. Two TENGs have been connected serially and integrated into the WD-TENG prototype. The WD-TENG geometry has been optimized and the wave frequency and amplitude have been simulated experimentally to evaluate the WD-TENG performance under various ocean conditions guided by computational fluid dynamics simulation. The preliminary results show that under the current design, the WD-TENG can achieve the output voltage of 133 V when the wave amplitude reaches 11.5 cm under frequency of 2.2 Hz and can achieve the output voltage of 333.67 V under the wave frequency of 7 Hz and 0 cm amplitude. The WD-TENG can sustainably charge a 47 mu F capacitor to 0.496 V in a minute. It also shows excellent durability under eight hours continuous operation and demonstrates strong adaptability under different frequencies and amplitudes of ocean waves.

Automated summary

Wave energy is utilized as an alternative renewable energy source through the use of a wave-driven TENG prototype that has been optimized for performance under different ocean conditions. The preliminary results show promising output voltage and sustainable charging capabilities, as well as durability and adaptability under various frequencies and amplitudes of ocean waves.