Triboelectric Nanogenerators (TENG) convert ambient movements including human motion, machine vibrations and wind or wave energy into electrical signals. They can be used to harvest energy to help power electronic devices or in sensor technology to monitor a person’s various health conditions.
The new sliding mode distance-dependent electric field (DDEF) theory now fully explains how TENG devices work and is expected to help overcome some of the more difficult challenges experienced by academics in this field. The work is detailed in Advanced Energy Materials.
In a statement, PhD student Rameesh Bulathsinghala from Loughborough’s Wolfson School for Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, said: “There are several things that the model does, which weren’t possible with existing knowledge – including allowing us to model and predict the electrical outputs of a sliding TENG, with the highest accuracy to date. This gives engineers and designers a lot more freedom to create better performing and customised devices such as wearable electronics for health monitoring.
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“Our study shows that engineering and controlling some of these factors are critical to obtain higher outputs, to reduce their size to make these devices more unobtrusive thus allowing them to blend in more effectively whilst improving their repeatability and reliability.”
Dr Ishara Dharmasena, a senior lecturer in the same school, added: “One of the amazingly unique aspects of our work lies in its versatility and adaptability. Scientists often spend a lot of time and effort in building new models for a substantial number of different TENG designs but these resources wouldn’t be necessary with our model – as it’s universally applicable. This enables us to compare different TENG designs, selecting the most appropriate one for any given application – whether that’s for generating energy from wind or waves to sensing the health of a patient through their daily movement.”
Dr Dharmasena said that work at the University is mainly focussed on creating super-smart textiles. This technology based on TENG could create low-cost, unobtrusive and intelligent garments to monitor the health parameters and movements of people.
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