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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 19, 2025

Experiments on Ultrasonic Lubrication Using a Piezoelectrically-assisted Tribometer and Optical Profilometer

Experiments on Ultrasonic Lubrication Using a Piezoelectrically-assisted Tribometer and Optical Profilometer

Published on: September 28, 2015

Roadbed tribological energy harvester.

Pengfei Ji^1,2, Jing Wen³, Xiaobo Gao^1,2

¹Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101400, P. R. China.

Science Advances

|June 18, 2025

Summary

Researchers developed a novel roadbed triboelectric nanogenerator to harvest roadbed tribological energy (RTE). This innovation effectively converts vibrations into electricity, powering intelligent transportation systems and unlocking a vast renewable energy resource.

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A Polymer-based Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvester with a 3D Meshed-Core Structure

A Polymer-based Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvester with a 3D Meshed-Core Structure

Published on: February 20, 2019

Area of Science:

Energy Harvesting
Triboelectric Nanogenerators
Sustainable Transportation

Background:

Roadbed tribological energy (RTE) is a significant, yet underutilized, recoverable energy source generated from tire-road interactions.
Current energy harvesting technologies struggle to efficiently capture low-grade, high-entropy RTE.
Effective harvesting of RTE could contribute substantially to renewable energy generation.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a novel energy harvesting technology for capturing roadbed tribological energy (RTE).
To demonstrate the feasibility of integrating this technology into road infrastructure.
To explore its application in powering self-powered intelligent and connected transportation systems (SP-ICTS).

Main Methods:

Design and fabrication of a freestanding layer triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) array embedded in the road.
Testing the TENG array's performance under simulated tire impacts.
Integration of the TENG array into a self-powered intelligent and connected transportation system (SP-ICTS).

Main Results:

The TENG array effectively converts low-grade vibratory RTE into electrical energy.
Achieved peak power of 16.409 mW and average power of 2.2 mW from a 78 cm² area per tire impact.
Demonstrated a triboelectric conversion efficiency of 11.723% and successful powering of an SP-ICTS over a 1 km segment.

Conclusions:

The developed TENG array offers a promising solution for harvesting roadbed tribological energy.
This technology can significantly contribute to the development of sustainable and self-powered transportation infrastructure.
The successful integration into SP-ICTS highlights the practical viability of this innovative energy harvesting approach.