Hybrid Nanogenerator Inspired by Biomimetic Structure of Bird Fluttering Wings

To efficiently collect mechanical energy from the marine environment and reliably provide clean energy for low-power marine equipment is the main aim of this study. In this study, a triboelectric-piezoelectric hybrid generator with a flapping wing structure was designed, inspired by the flapping wing movement of birds. Piezoelectric thin films serve as elastic supports for vertical contact-separation-mode triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) and can provide an external energy output. And this structure is coupled with a cantilever beam piezoelectric energy harvester as a concentrated mass, achieving a significant reduction in the eigenfrequency of the entire structure. Making its eigenfrequency close to the frequency range of waves is more suitable for collecting random mechanical energy in marine environments. In an indoor sink, its electrical output can be cached by a capacitor to enable the normal operation of small electronic devices. When the power is provided for cathodic protection, the open-circuit potential of 304SS can be reduced by 270 mV, greatly improving its corrosion resistance. This provides a design consideration for the future energy supply of low-power marine equipment in the future.