Triboelectric nanogenerators are aspiring energy harvesting methods that generate electricity from the triboelectric effect and electrostatic induction. This study demonstrates the harvesting of wind energy by a wind-rolling triboelectric nanogenerator (WR-TENG). The WR-TENG generates electricity from wind as a lightweight dielectric sphere rotates along the vortex whistle substrate. Increasing the kinetic energy of a dielectric converted from the wind energy is a key factor in fabricating an efficient WR-TENG. Computation fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis is introduced to estimate the precise movements of wind flow and to create a vortex flow by adjusting the parameters of the vortex whistle shape to optimize the design parameters to increase the kinetic energy conversion rate. WR-TENG can be utilized as both a self-powered wind velocity sensor and a wind energy harvester. A single unit of WR-TENG produces open-circuit voltage of 11.2 V and closed-circuit current of 1.86 μA. Additionally, findings reveal that the electrical power is enhanced through multiple electrode patterns in a single device and by increasing the number of dielectric spheres inside WR-TENG. The wind-rolling TENG is a novel approach for a sustainable wind-driven TENG that is sensitive and reliable to wind flows to harvest wasted wind energy in the near future.

There has been much research on renewable energy-harvesting techniques. However, owing to increasing energy demands, significant energy-related issues remain to be solved. Efforts aimed at reducing the amount of energy loss in electric/electronic systems are essential for reducing energy consumption and protecting the environment. Here, we design an energy-loss return gate system that reduces energy loss from electric/electronic systems by utilizing the polarization of liquid dielectrics. The use of a liquid dielectric material in the energy-loss return gate generates electrostatic potential energy while reducing the dielectric loss of the electric/electronic system. Hence, an energy-loss return gate can make breakthrough impacts possible by amplifying energy-harvesting efficiency, lowering the power consumption of electronics, and storing the returned energy. Our study indicates the potential for enhancing energy-harvesting technologies for electric/electronics systems, while increasing the widespread development of these systems.

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development of both batteries and charging devices, smart/portable electronics require frequent recharging during use. To satisfy these needs, power generation techniques and energy-harvesting methods such as electromagnetic, [1] solar power, [2] and piezoelectric [3] methods have been studied. Among these efforts, the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) was developed to generate electricity by a combination of contact electrification and electrostatic induction between two surfaces. [4] TENGs have a few unique advantages; e.g., they are light, inexpensive, and have high power density and efficiency [5] compared with existing energy-harvesting devices intended for portable applications. To further increase the electrical power of TENGs, previous researchers modified the material properties, such as the ion doping [6] and crystalline structure, [7,8] or surface characteristics, such as the surface roughness [9] or ion content. [10] As a result, TENGs have been successfully employed to independently power small electronics such as smart phones and watches, [8,11,12] suggesting the possibility that TENGs may be built into the electronic device itself to function as self-powering generators. However, modifying the material and its surface may limit the durability of the materials inside, and most of the portable applications demonstrated in previous studies have excessive input conditions that not only are inapplicable for portable devices but also cause severe frictional damage and reduce the lifespan of the TENGs. Therefore, for TENGs to be used in portable devices as an auxiliary power source, a new mechanism is needed that increases the TENG performance and can be used in everyday life.In this study, we demonstrate a new TENG generation mechanism involving the Leyden jar effect, where a capacitor is combined with the TENG. The capacitor-integrated TENG (CI-TENG) is composed of a long sheet metal (capacitor electrode)-polymer-metal (TENG electrode) composite rolled inside the casing cylinder. At the end of the sheet, there is a capacitor unit that can temporarily store the charge that the TENG has generated. As the operator contracts and releases the sheet, the electrode on the capacitor unit contacts and separates from the electrode on the outer casing. During contact, the capacitor unit releases the stored charge to the electrode on the outer casing, which produces a large peak current. TheThe electrical power of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) is increased by surface modifications, and they can successfully power portable devices alone. However, modifying the material and its surface may limit the device lifetime, and most of the portable applications demonstrated in previous studies have excessive input conditions. In this study, a capacitor-integrated TENG (CI-TENG) that uses the fundamental mechanisms of the Leyden jar is developed. In this device, a long sheet metal (capacitor electrode)polymer-metal composite (TENG electrode) is rolled inside the casing cylinder, and a capacitor unit is fabri...

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