Asymmetric voltage amplification using a capacitive load energy management circuit in a triboelectric nanogenerator

We investigated the polarity dependence of a capacitive energy management circuit in a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) power system. In a half-wave rectifying circuit, the Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis and analytical models show that the charge dump to the load varied depending on the polarity of the rectifying circuit even with the same charge output from TENG. Depending on the polarity of the rectifying circuit, a fast saturation of the direct current (DC) output voltage or a high DC output voltage was obtained. Experiments with a half-wave rectifier and Bennet doubler confirmed our simulation and theoretical results. The charge dump from the minimum capacitance of the separated TENG to the load capacitance and the charge dump from the maximum capacitance of the contacted TENG to the load resulted in asymmetric charging behavior. We concluded that it is necessary to analyze the TENG and the capacitive energy management circuit as a single system rather than considering them as independent units in the rectifying circuit of the TENG. This work can provide insights for the design of triboelectric energy harvesting systems.