Two-Stage Power Management System Boosts Energy-Harvesting Efficiency

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“It doesn’t matter what kind of mechanical motion or what frequency of mechanical motion you have as long as the energy input is high,” said Niu. “This is a critical step in the commercialization of triboelectric nanogenerators because it opens up a range of new applications.”

With finger tapping as the only energy source, the power unit provides continuous direct current of 1.044 milliwatts. The unit can work continuously with the motion, allowing devices to be operated even as the device charges the battery or capacitor.

Beyond portable electronics, Niu believes the system could be useful in powering networks of sensors, allowing long-term operation without the need for replacing batteries.

“In a sensor network, you would have so many devices that you could not replace all of the batteries,” he said. “This technology would allow you to power the sensors by harvesting energy from the environment and then directly providing energy for each component of the network.”

With the energy management circuitry demonstrated in this proof-of-concept, the next step will be to miniaturize the circuitry to fit into an overall system, said Zhong Ling Wang, a Regents professor in the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering who led development of the original triboelectric nanogenerators.

“This new device provides a bridge between the triboelectric nanogenerator and many different types of applications,” he said. “This work will allow us to build a package that can power wearable and mobile devices from the motion of humans. With constant output from a battery or large capacitor, you can drive just about any device that you want.”

The power management system could also be applied to piezoelectric and pyroelectric generators, which also produce alternating current.

In 2012, Wang and his research team announced triboelectric nanogenerators that produce small amounts of electricity from motion in the world around us – by capturing the electrical charge produced when two different kinds of plastic materials rub against one another. Based on flexible polymer materials, the triboelectric generators provide alternating current (AC) from activities such as walking.

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