3D-printed rotary triboelectric nanogenerator based on cam-drive structure for wind energy harvesting

Abstract

Utilizing the weak but abundant wind energy in the environment has always been a challenge. Herein, we developed a cam-drive structured triboelectric nanogenerator (C-TENG) via 3D printing technology, which effectively converts wind-induced rotational motion into periodic contact-separation between triboelectric materials, thereby generating triboelectricity. The relationship between cam parameters and motion trajectory, most favorable for energy harvesting, is established. Through integrated 3D modeling, the manufacturing complexity is significantly reduced, resulting in a compact device architecture incorporating four identical TENG units with synchronized electrical outputs. Under controlled rotation at 120 rpm, each unit exhibited rectified output characteristics of 170 V open-circuit voltage and 0.6 μA short-circuit current. When electrically paralleled, the integrated system achieved enhanced current output of 2.5 μA while maintaining 170 V, yielding maximum output power of 33.5 μW. Its real-world power generation capability was demonstrated by powering 55 commercial LEDs, as integrated into a basic rectifying circuit, achieving sustained voltage output of ~150 V over continuous 60-minute operation. C-TENG deserves expectation for addressing energy issues with excellent stability and robustness performance, in addition to efficient wind energy harvesting.