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Hourglass Triboelectric Nanogenerator as a “Direct Current” Power Source
Author(s) -
He Chuan,
Han Chang Bao,
Gu Guang Qin,
Jiang Tao,
Chen Bao Dong,
Gao Zhen Liang,
Wang Zhong Lin
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
advanced energy materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.08
H-Index - 220
eISSN - 1614-6840
pISSN - 1614-6832
DOI - 10.1002/aenm.201700644
Subject(s) - triboelectric effect , nanogenerator , hourglass , materials science , optoelectronics , pellets , light emitting diode , diode , nanotechnology , composite material , piezoelectricity , archaeology , history
Hourglass, or sandglass, is known for centuries to record the passage of time. Here, an hourglass triboelectric nanogenerator (HG‐TENG) is reported as a power source by harnessing the kinetic energy of falling particles. By employing the geometry of an hourglass and replacing the sand with a mixture of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) pellets and Al balls, the HG‐TENG delivers a train of electrical pulses of the same sign without a rectifier bridge. When the volume ratio of the PTFE pellets to the Al balls is 1:1, the HG‐TENG is able to light up 160 commercial light emitting diodes intermittently for 18 s. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the HG‐TENG can also serve as a self‐powered UV counterfeit detector.