Triboelectric Nanogenerators (TENG) converts ambient movements such as human motion, machine vibrations and wind or wave energy into electrical signals. It can be used to harvest energy to help power electronic devices or in sensor technology to monitor a person’s various health conditions.
The new theory, called the sliding mode distance-dependent electric field (DDEF) theory, now gives a full explanation of how TENG devices work and will help in overcoming some of the more difficult challenges experienced by academics in this field, since its invention in 2012.
Senior Lecturer in the University’s Wolfson School for Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, Dr Ishara Dharmasena, said: “One of the amazingly unique aspects of our work lies in its versatility and adaptability. Scientists often spend a lot of time and effort in building new models for a substantial number of different TENG designs but these resources wouldn’t be necessary with our model – as it’s universally applicable. This enables us to compare different TENG designs, selecting the most appropriate one for any given application – whether that’s for generating energy from wind or waves to sensing the health of a patient through their daily movement.”
“People should take note of this development as for the past 13 years, scientists and researchers have been working to create better, more reliable and more efficient TENG designs – which has been a big challenge. Our new work addresses many of these issues which can help propel this technology to successfully develop various practical applications – having that real world impact on people everywhere.”