Progress in recent research on the design and use of triboelectric nanogenerators for harvesting wind energy

Wind energy is a green and sustainable natural source of abundant and widely distributed energy. The triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is a new type of energy conversion device with low cost, simple structure, small size, etc., which can effectively convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. The application of TENG to harvesting wind energy provides a new development direction for the collection of low-frequency, disordered wind energy. Starting from the four working modes of the TENG, this paper details the structural design of a TENG for harvesting wind energy, lists the performance improvements brought about by the use of different friction materials in or improved methods for wind energy harvesting TENG, analyzes the efficiency improvements brought about by the applications of power management circuits to such devices, summarizes the fields in which TENGs can be used to harvest wind energy, and proposes future directions for their development.