A Self-Powered Flow Velocity Sensing System Based on Hybrid Piezo-Triboelectric Nanogenerator

Monitoring the flow velocity of an urban ventilation system has great significance for air circulation and air quality. In this study, a self-powered flow velocity sensor based on hybrid piezo-triboelectric nanogenerator (P-TENG) is proposed. The flow velocity is detected by a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) working in freestanding triboelectric-layer mode. A polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) fixed on the galloping beam converts the kinetic energy of the moving air into electricity. Both the TENG and PVDF are driven by the galloping vibration of a bluff body arisen from the air flow of ventilation. The structure of the P-TENG is provided and a prototype is fabricated. The experiments indicate that the PVDF can generate 2.4 mu W of energy across an external resistance of 60 M omega. Flow velocity ranging from 4 to 10 m s(-1) can be well detected by the proposed nanogenerator. Moreover, the P-TENG is applicable to a critical environment with humidity up to 75%. Demonstration is carried out on a wind tunnel, illustrating good reliability as the frequency remains stable for the whole duration. Compared with the commercial anemometer, the error rate is under 1% after calibration. The proposed P-TENG promises in low cost, self-powered flow velocity monitoring in urban ventilation systems.

Automated summary

In this study, a self-powered flow velocity sensor based on hybrid piezo-triboelectric nanogenerator (P-TENG) is proposed for monitoring the flow velocity of an urban ventilation system. The kinetic energy of the moving air is converted into electricity by a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) fixed on the galloping beam, and the flow velocity is detected by a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). The experiments demonstrate the accuracy, reliability and applicability of the proposed nanogenerator in detecting flow velocity.