Waste heat has been regarded as one of the most important renewable and green energy sources, and its widespread reclamation could help to reduce the negative impacts of global warming and the energy crisis.
Ocean energy, in theory, is an enormous clean and renewable energy resource that can generate electric power much more than that required to power the entire globe without adding any pollution to the atmosphere. However, owing to a lack of effective technology, such blue energy is almost unexplored to meet the energy requirement of human society. In this work, a fully packaged hybrid nanogenerator consisting of a rolling triboelectric nanogenerator (R-TENG) and an electromagnetic generator (EMG) is developed to harvest water motion energy. The outstanding output performance of the R-TENG (45 cm3 in volume and 28.3 g in weight) in the low-frequency range (<1.8 Hz) complements the ineffective output of EMG (337 cm3 in volume and 311.8 g in weight) in the same range and thus enables the hybrid nanogenerator to deliver valuable outputs in a broad range of operation frequencies. Therefore, the hybrid nanogenerator can maximize the energy conversion efficiency and broaden the operating frequency simultaneously. In terms of charging capacitors, this hybrid nanogenerator provides not only high voltage and consistent charging from the TENG component but also fast charging speed from the EMG component. The practical application of the hybrid nanogenerator is also demonstrated to power light-emitting diodes by harvesting energy from stimulated tidal flow. The high robustness of the R-TENG is also validated based on the stable electrical output after continuous rolling motion. Therefore, the hybrid R-TENG and EMG device renders an effective and sustainable approach toward large-scale blue energy harvesting in a broad frequency range.
Abstract Background The maintenance and repair of the intestinal epithelial barrier (IEB) is a multifaceted process that requires the coordinated participation of different cell types within the gastrointestinal tract. Studies have shown that ablation of enteric glial cells (EGCs) can lead to intestinal epithelial cell necrosis and destruction of the IEB. However, the specific role of EGCs in it remains ambiguous. The aim of this study was to elucidate the potential role of EGCs in regulating IEB and intestinal inflammation. Methods In this study，we employed immunofluorescence, western blot, ELISA, and gene expression profiling to assess the expression of GFAP (a marker for EGCs), NGF, and necroptosis-associated proteins in intestinal tissues from IBD patients. In addition, DSS-induced colitis mouse models, in vitro co-culture systems, and transcriptomic analysis were used to explore the effects of EGCs and NGF on IECs necroptosis and inflammation. Results In intestinal tissues of IBD patients, reduced expression of GFAP and S100β suggests damage to EGCs. Additionally, we found that NGF in intestinal tissues primarily originates from EGCs. Diminished NGF secretion due to EGCs damage correlates with increased necroptosis of IECs. Exogenous administration of NGF inhibits DSS-induced necroptosis of IECs and alleviates colonic inflammation. Ablation of EGCs exacerbates necroptosis of IECs, disruption of IEB, and intestinal inflammation following DSS treatment. In vitro co-culture experiments demonstrate that EGCs suppress necroptosis of IECs induced by T/S/Z mix. Further flow cytometry and TEM results confirm that NGF effectively mitigates T/S/Z mix-induced necroptosis of IECs.Transcriptomic sequencing indicated that RNF126 is a downstream target in the NGF signaling pathway, potentially mediating the protective effects of EGCs-derived NGF on IECs. Conclusion Based on the findings from this study, it is evident that EGCs play a crucial role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis through their production of NGF. Reduced NGF secretion from damaged EGCs correlates with increased necroptosis of IECs, exacerbating inflammation in colonic tissues. Exogenous NGF administration effectively attenuates this process, highlighting its therapeutic potential in IBD. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis identified RNF126 as a downstream mediator in the NGF signaling pathway, its specific role remains speculative and requires further investigation to elucidate its mechanistic involvement in mediating the protective effects of NGF. In conclusion, these findings emphasize the intricate interplay between EGCs, NGF signaling, and IEC survival, pointing towards novel therapeutic strategies targeting this pathway in IBD management.
Abstract Owing to the advantages of integration and being magnet-free and light-weight, the switched-capacitor-convertor plays an increasing role compared to traditional transformer in some specific power supply systems. However, the high output impedance and switching loss largely reduces its power efficiency, due to imperfect topology and transistors. Herein, we propose a fractal-design based switched-capacitor-convertors with characteristics including high conversion efficiency, minimum output impedance, and electrostatic voltage applicability. As a double-function output power management system for triboelectric nanogenerators, it delivers over 67 times charge boosting and 954 W m −2 power density in pulse mode, and achieves over 94% total energy transfer efficiency in constant mode. The establishment of the fractal-design switched-capacitor-convertors provides significant guidance for the development of power management toward multi-functional output for numerous applications. The successful demonstration in triboelectric nanogenerators also declares its great potential in electric vehicles, DC micro-grids etc.
The development of wearable and large‐area fabric energy harvester and sensor has received great attention due to their promising applications in next‐generation autonomous and wearable healthcare technologies. Here, a new type of “single” thread‐based triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and its uses in elastically textile‐based energy harvesting and sensing have been demonstrated. The energy‐harvesting thread composed by one silicone‐rubber‐coated stainless‐steel thread can extract energy during contact with skin. With sewing the energy‐harvesting thread into a serpentine shape on an elastic textile, a highly stretchable and scalable TENG textile is realized to scavenge various kinds of human‐motion energy. The collected energy is capable to sustainably power a commercial smart watch. Moreover, the simplified single triboelectric thread can be applied in a wide range of thread‐based self‐powered and active sensing uses, including gesture sensing, human‐interactive interfaces, and human physiological signal monitoring. After integration with microcontrollers, more complicated systems, such as wireless wearable keyboards and smart beds, are demonstrated. These results show that the newly designed single‐thread‐based TENG, with the advantage of interactive, responsive, sewable, and conformal features, can meet application needs of a vast variety of fields, ranging from wearable and stretchable energy harvesters to smart cloth‐based articles.
Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has proved an effective ambient mechanical energy collection and conversion technology for power supply to distributed sensors in internet of things. Rational stack of TENG units is a way to enhance its output performance in a limited space. However, the output does not linearly increase with the number of stack units due to narrow working gaps and low contact electrification ability of materials. It is still a great challenge to obtain a high output performance TENG by stacking units. Herein, a V-shape multiple stacking TENG (V-TENG) is proposed, which largely increases effective contact area and improves space utilization. A self-charge excitation circuit and a Zener diode are used to enhance its output performance and maintain output stability. The peak power of the V-TENG with self-charge excitation (VSE-TENG) reaches to 3.96 mW, which increases by more than 22 times compared with that without excitation. Furthermore, the V-TENG with power management can collect water flow energy and serve as a portable power supply for powering LEDs, a temperature and humidity sensor, and a calculator. This work provides a new strategy for boosting TENG output performance in a fixed device space.
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