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Triboelectric Energy-Harvesting Floor Tile
Panu Thainiramit1, Subhawat Jayasvasti2, Phonexai Yingyong1
1Department of Instrumentation and Control Engineering, School of Engineering, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, Thailand.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 23, 2022
Summary
This study optimized triboelectric energy-harvesting floor tiles by examining material thickness and gap width. Thinner polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) layers and wider gaps yielded higher electrical output, enabling LED illumination.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Energy Harvesting
- Triboelectric Nanogenerators
Background:
- Triboelectric energy harvesting offers a sustainable power source for low-power electronics.
- Optimizing triboelectric energy-harvesting floor tiles (TEHFTs) requires understanding key performance parameters.
- Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a suitable material for TEHFTs due to its availability and low cost.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate real-world electrical parameters affecting TEHFT performance.
- Determine optimal specifications for triboelectric material thickness, gap width, and pressing frequency.
- Provide data for designing customized TEHFTs for specific applications.
Main Methods:
- Fabricated a simple TEHFT using PTFE film and aluminum foil.
- Utilized a test bench with a square wave to simulate pressing frequency.
- Varied PTFE thickness (0.1 mm and 0.2 mm) and analyzed electrical output (voltage, current, optimal load, cumulative energy).
Main Results:
- Higher voltage and current output were observed with increased gap width.
- Thinner PTFE layers resulted in greater voltage and current.
- A 0.2 mm thick PTFE layer generated the highest energy output (7.69 mJ at 1.1 MΩ load).
Conclusions:
- TEHFT performance is significantly influenced by PTFE thickness and gap width.
- A 0.2 mm PTFE layer TEHFT can power 100-150 LEDs, demonstrating practical application potential.
- Design parameters can be adjusted to meet specific energy harvesting requirements.
Keywords:
energy harvesting floor tilehuman footstepsimpact forcetriboelectric energy harvestingtriboelectric material thicknessMore Related Videos
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