Torus structured triboelectric nanogenerator array for water wave energy harvesting

Abstract Water wave energy is regarded as one of the most prospective renewable energy sources, while most of it has not been utilized for numerous technology defects. As a new energy technology, triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has been widely utilized for low frequency and random mechanical energy harvesting, which is very suitable for scavenging water wave energy. In this paper, we present a torus structured triboelectric nanogenerator (TS-TENG) which consists of an inner ball and a torus shell. Triggered by water waves, the ball revolves in the torus shell for triboelectric power generation, and the TS-TENG can harvest random wave energy from all directions. Moreover, to scavenge large-scale water wave energy, the TS-TENG array is fabricated and presented as a power source for persistently powering electronic devices and charging a battery or capacitor. With an agitation frequency of 2 Hz and an oscillation angle of 5°, the TS-TENG is expected to give a maximum peak power density of 0.21 W/m 2 . Take advantage of low-cost, environment-friendly and easy- implement, the development of the TS-TENG is of great significance for harvesting large-scale ocean wave energy and other potential applications in blue energy.