Complementary power output characteristics of electromagnetic generators and triboelectric generators

作者：Feng Ru Fan, Wei Yieng Tang, Yan Yao, Jianjun Luo, Chi Zhang, Zhong Lin Wang · 发表于：Nanotechnology · 年份：2014 · DOI：10.1088/0957-4484/25/13/135402 · 被引用次数：84 · 研究领域：Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials、Conducting polymers and applications、Innovative Energy Harvesting Technologies

Recently, a triboelectric generator (TEG) has been invented to convert mechanical energy into electricity by a conjunction of triboelectrification and electrostatic induction. Compared to the traditional electromagnetic generator (EMG) that produces a high output current but low voltage, the TEG has different output characteristics of low output current but high output voltage. In this paper, we present a comparative study regarding the fundamentals of TEGs and EMGs. The power output performances of the EMG and the TEG have a special complementary relationship, with the EMG being a voltage source and the TEG a current source. Utilizing a power transformed and managed (PTM) system, the current output of a TEG can reach as high as ∼3 mA, which can be coupled with the output signal of an EMG to enhance the output power. We also demonstrate a design to integrate a TEG and an EMG into a single device for simultaneously harvesting mechanical energy. In addition, the integrated NGs can independently output a high voltage and a high current to meet special needs.