Lantern-inspired bistable triboelectric nanogenerator for harvesting low-frequency vibration energy with broadband

The vibration energy, which is widely found in mechanical equipment and engineering structures, is typically low-frequency and broadband. The traditional approaches to energy harvesting are not effective in capturing low-frequency vibration energy across a wide frequency bandwidth. This paper introduces the negative-stiffness mechanism into triboelectric nanogenerator to propose a lantern-inspired bistable triboelectric nanogenerator (LBTENG). Its objective is to efficiently collect low-frequency vibration energy spanning a broad frequency range. The LBTENG's design concept and working principle are first explained, and its electromechanical coupling model is established. Then, its static characteristic, dynamic behavior, and electrical performance are investigated numerically. Next, the LBTENG prototype is fabricated, and the experimental platform is built to verify its output performance and demonstrate its applications in low-frequency vibration and human motion. In the final stage, an in-depth analysis is conducted on how the key parameters influence the performance of the LBTENG. The results show that the LBTENG can achieve interwell oscillation and efficiently harvest vibration energy in the 7–27 Hz frequency range. At 22 Hz and with a 10 MΩ load resistance, the LBTENG delivers a maximum output power of 2.08 mW. The LBTENG can power LED arrays, temperature and humidity sensors, and wearable smart devices under low-frequency vibration and human motion. Therefore, the LBTENG has potential in structural-health monitoring and human-health monitoring.