Waterwheel-inspired high-performance hybrid electromagnetic-triboelectric nanogenerators based on fluid pipeline energy harvesting for power supply systems and data monitoring

Abstract In this work, a self-powered system based on a triboelectric-electromagnetic hybrid pipeline energy harvesting module is demonstrated. Rabbit fur and poly tetra fluoroethylene (PTFE) are used as triboelectric electrodes to fabricate disk-type soft-contact triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) instead of traditional direct-contact TENGs to collect the mechanical energy of water flow and convert it into electrical energy. This design has a stable electrical output and gives an improved durability. Its simple fabrication process enables excellent potential for practical applications in industry. In addition, the hybridization of electromagnetic generator module and TENGs module to form a triboelectric-electromagnetic hybrid nanogenerator (TEHNG) can improve the electrical output performance, especially the current output. TEHNG cannot only power small electronic devices, such as lighting systems, but also collect independent fluid energy and monitor data signals simultaneously in harsh environments, such as fluid energy harvesting in industrial production pipelines and temperature and humidity in fluid environments. This work provides an efficient strategy to harvest multiple energies simultaneously, significantly increasing the yield and promoting the application of TENGs in engineering.