Woven Fabric Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Biomotion Energy Harvesting and as Self-Powered Gait-Recognizing Socks

Chaoyu Chen, Lei Zhang, Wenbo Ding, Lijun Chen, Jinkang Liu, Zhaoqun Du and Weidong Yu
Additional contact information
Chaoyu Chen: Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
Lei Zhang: Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials (Ministry of Education), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
Wenbo Ding: Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
Lijun Chen: Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
Jinkang Liu: Violet Home Textile Science and Technology Company Limited, Nantong 226311, China
Zhaoqun Du: Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
Weidong Yu: Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 16, 1-10

Abstract: In recent years, rapid advancements have developed in multifunctional and wearable electronics, which call for more lightweight, flexible energy sources. However, traditional disposable batteries and rechargeable batteries are not very suitable because of their bulky appearance, limited capacity, low flexibility, and environmental pollution problem. Here, by applying a mature manufacturing technology that has existed in the textile field for a long time, a woven fabric triboelectric nanogenerator (WF-TENG) with a thinner structure that can be mass-fabricated with low cost, perfect stability, and high flexibility is designed and reported. Due to the good intrinsic quality of TENGs, the maximum voltage of this WF-TENG can easily reach 250 V under a pressure of 3.5 kPa and a tapping frequency of 0.33 Hz. Because of the stable plain-woven structure, the output voltage can remain relatively stable even after the WF-TENG has been working for about 5 h continuously, clearly demonstrating its robustness and practical value. Moreover, good sensitivity endows this WF-TENG with the capability of being applied as self-powered sensors, such as a self-powered smart real-time gait-recognizing sock. This WF-TENG shows us a simple and effective method to fabricate a wearable textile product with functional ability, which is very meaningful for future research.

Keywords: woven fabric; triboelectric nanogenerator; energy harvesting; self-powered sensors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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