Wind-driven hybridized triboelectric-electromagnetic nanogenerator and solar cell as a sustainable power unit for self-powered natural disaster monitoring sensor networks

The frequent occurrence of natural disasters is a major threat to the property and casualties of human beings in recent decades. Disaster prone points can be very closely monitored by augmenting the distribution of wireless sensor networks. However, replacing the battery of electronics regularly remains a significant challenge especially in a remote area. In this study, we report a wind-driven hybridized energy harvester which is designed for rotating energy harvesting and can be integrated with WSN technology to develop a self-powered natural disaster monitoring system. In this harvester, the rotator is directly driven by external rotational motion thus can easily hybridize the TENG with eighteen EMGs. Consequently, the fully packaged WH-EH device combining with the water-proof flexible solar cell can be completely isolated from the harsh wilderness environment. The output feature of TENG of high voltage but low current that perfectly compensate for the differing performance of EMG to achieve an excellent output power of the hybrid device with a broad frequency range. Moreover, the WH-EH is capable of lighting hundreds of LEDs and powering small electronics. The quick-acting charging ability of a capacitor by the WH-EH was conducted effectively in experimental tests. Finally, three self-powered sensor systems enabled by a single WH-EH were discussed and demonstrated, including a temperature sensor for forest fire detection, a vibration sensor for earthquake monitoring and a wireless transceiver for alarm information spreading. Obviously, the invention of the hybridized nanogenerator will be of great importance to promote the development of self-powered wireless sensor networks and provide a sustainable power-supply solution to long-term natural disaster monitoring stations in residential or remote areas.