am6b00548_si_001.pdf (4.57 MB)
Human Interactive Triboelectric Nanogenerator as a Self-Powered Smart Seat
journal contribution
posted on 2016-03-29, 00:00 authored by Arunkumar Chandrasekhar, Nagamalleswara Rao Alluri, Balasubramaniam Saravanakumar, Sophia Selvarajan, Sang-Jae KimA lightweight,
flexible, cost-effective, and robust, single-electrode-based Smart
Seat–Triboelectric Nanogenerator (SS-TENG) is introduced as
a promising eco-friendly approach for harvesting energy from the living
environment, for use in integrated self-powered systems. An effective
method for harvesting biomechanical energy from human motion such
as walking, running, and sitting, utilizing widely adaptable everyday
contact materials (newspaper, denim, polyethylene covers, and bus
cards) is demonstrated. The working mechanism of the SS-TENG is based
on the generation and transfer of triboelectric charge carriers between
the active layer and user-friendly contact materials. The performance
of SS-TENG (52 V and 5.2 μA for a multiunit SS-TENG) is systematically
studied and demonstrated in a range of applications including a self-powered
passenger seat number indicator and a STOP-indicator using LEDs, using
a simple logical circuit. Harvested energy is used as a direct power
source to drive 60 blue and green commercially available LEDs and
a monochrome LCD. This feasibility study confirms that triboelectric
nanogenerators are a suitable technology for energy harvesting from
human motion during transportation, which could be used to operate
a variety of wireless devices, GPS systems, electronic devices, and
other sensors during travel.