Design and Analysis of Triboelectric and Pyroelectric Energy Harvesting for Low Power Electronics

Abstract

Harvesting energy from the ambient environment constitutes a promising research newlinearea to produce a sustainable power source for various device applications such as medical newlineand environmental monitoring, security systems, sports training, healthcare, defense and newlineso on. One of the topmost onerous ways to self-power devices is the development of an newlineenergy harvester that captures and generates electricity from environmental energy, and newlinecontinually refill the energy consumed by the electrical load. In this regard, a wide range newlineof highly efficient energy harvesters are in existence. newlineThe context of this thesis focuses on the development and study of the effectiveness newlineof triboelectric and pyroelectric energy generator concepts, with a view of discovering newlinetechniques to increase their efficiency for the normal functioning of low power electronic newlinedevices. The first design is based upon a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) that presents newlinethe conversion of human biomechanical motion into useful electricity using vertical and newlinesliding motions. Triboelectric materials that are robust and proficient in optimal newlinetriboelectric charge generation are of special attraction to the development of TENG newlineapplications. This work investigated the effect of charge generation and separation on the newlinesurfaces of triboelectric materials such as PTFE, nylon, FEP, Cu, and Al thin films newlinefabricated on vertical contact-separation (CS) mode and lateral sliding (LS) mode of newlineTENG. We also determined that the model based on vertical contact-separation (CS) mode newlinewas even able to store higher amount of charge in capacitor when compared with sliding... newline