Suppressing Thermal Negative Effect and Maintaining High-Temperature Steady Electrical Performance of Triboelectric Nanogenerators by Employing Phase Change Material

Abstract

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are newly developed energy-harvesting mechanisms, which can efficiently transmute irregular mechanical energy into scarce electrical energy. However, the electrical performance of TENGs shows a decreasing tendency with the increase in temperature, and the negative effect caused by friction heat and operating environmental thermal stresses for the output performance, durability, and reliability are still a bottleneck, restricting the practical application of TENG electronic devices. Especially for wearable TENG devices, the heat-induced temperature rise evokes extreme discomfort and even hazards to human health. To effectively suppress the thermal negative effect and maintain the high-temperature steady electrical performance of TENGs, a novel thermo-regulating TENG (Tr-TENG) based on phase change materials (PCMs) is designed. The results state clearly that the Tr-TENG can maintain steady output performance without deterioration by the introduction of PCMs, during continuous heating and natural cooling, while the output performance of conventional TENG is decayed by 18.33%. More importantly, the Tr-TENG possesses high-efficiency thermal management ability, resulting in its improved durability, reliability, and thermal comfort. This study creates new possibilities for the development of advanced multifunctional TENGs with attractive characteristics and desirable performances and promotes the application of TENG electronic devices in harsh environments.

A Trimode Thermoregulatory Flexible Fibrous Membrane Designed with Hierarchical Core–Sheath Fiber Structure for Wearable Personal Thermal Management

“…However, the thermal enthalpy still remains at an ideal level. Figure c shows that the melting enthalpy of EPU@PW is significantly higher than the recently reported results by electrospinning (in a reasonable temperature range for human life between 22 and 46 °C), − ,− which reveals that EPU@PW is a promising candidate for a responsive thermoregulatory textile. As seen in Figure h, the DSC thermograms exhibit a favorable coincidence regarding the locations and intensities of the melting and cooling peaks in 50 cycles, demonstrating the stable reversibility of the phase change behavior.…”

“…Coaxial electrospinning has been explored to produce core–sheath structured phase change fibers. In this process the PCMs are encapsulated in the center of the fiber to solve the leakage issue. − Additionally, the high aspect ratio of the ultrafine fibers endows the prepared composite membranes with favorable flexibility. Most importantly, the large specific surfaces of the fibrous membrane provide a platform for functionalized surface modifications.…”

Human body IoT systems based on the triboelectrification effect: energy harvesting, sensing, interfacing and communication

“…74,75 However, the challenges in exploring triboelectric materials with low cost and high performance still exist and have aroused the interests of many researchers. 76,77 Furthermore, various approaches, such as energy extraction enhancement circuit, 78 have been reported to significantly enhance the energy conversion efficiency. [79][80][81][82] In 2019, Lee et al reported an overview of harvesting mechanical energy via TENG technology, which focused on the surface modification methods beyond the limitations of structural parameters and materials.…”

Exploring Next‐Generation Functional Organic Phase Change Composites

“…[100,101] Currently, the commercial thermoelectric module is the main component for thermoelectric conversion in energy generation systems associated with PCMs, and a stiff thermoelectric module without flexibility is used, even in heat-to-electrical energy conversion systems with thermally conductive materials. [102,103] In addition to thermoelectric modules, the integration of PCMs with solar cells (Figure 6b), [104] triboelectric nanogenerators (Figure 6c), [105] and pyroelectric energy harvesting systems (Figure 6d), [106] has been developed. Unlocking opportunities for more promising energy conversion systems, such as flexible thermoelectric modules for wearable products, ion-type thermoelectric generators for integrated heat collection devices, and solar steam generation for all-weather modes, remains an elusive goal.…”

“…[120] Recently, a freeze-spinning method integrating solution spinning with freeze-casting has been proposed to fabricate a thermoregulating phase change textile capable of passive heating and cooling with zero energy Figure 6. Integration of PCMs with other energy conversion and generation devices: (a) thermoelectric modules, [99] (b) solar cells, [104] (c) nanogenerators, [105] and (d) pyroelectric systems. [106] a) Reproduced with permission.…”