Triboelectric Power Generation from Paper Vibration Induced by Sonic Waves

Abstract

Abstract Paper is a material with a high Young’s modulus that vibrates sensitively due to environmental noise, voice, and sound. This study aims to create a triboelectric power generator to convert this sonic vibration energy into electrical energy to power microelectronics embedded on paper. A sonic wave has two wave modes, transverse and longitudinal, that propagate in paper; therefore, two types of triboelectric power generators were designed for trial simulation as the first step. A triboelectrically charged polytetrafluoroethylene sheet and a back electrode were attached to a paperboard. Another paperboard with a counter electrode attached was vibrated in the out-of-plane direction corresponding to transverse waves such that it would repeatedly move toward and away from the other paperboard. The generated power between the two electrodes reached 11.8 µW at 2 MΩ load. When comb-shaped electrodes were applied, manual strokes in the in-plane direction, corresponding to a longitudinal wave, induced voltage up to 8.2 V. The result suggested that sonic waves could be an electric power source for microelectronics in the future.