A Contact‐Separation Mode Hybrid Generator Based on Magnetic Springs

Abstract

The emergence of the intelligent society presents a significant challenge with regard to distributed energy. One potential solution is to harvest energy from the environment to power micro/nano systems. Herein, an electric‐triboelectric hybrid generator (ETMHG) supported by magnetic springs is presented that operates in the contact‐separation mode. The traditional mechanical springs in the triboelectric nanogenerators are replaced by magnetic springs, and solenoid coils are added. This structure can achieve electromagnet‐triboelectric hybrid generation without significantly increasing the volume of the generator, and the use of magnetic springs offers a solution to the issues of difficult installation and mechanical wear and tear that are inherent in mechanical spring‐based triboelectric nanogenerators. The proposed hybrid generation ETMHG is shown to increase the output capacity of the generator, improve the efficiency of environmental energy harvesting, and achieve an instantaneous maximum power of 4.75 mW and instantaneous maximum power density of 95 W m−3. The ETMHG can charge a 10 μF capacitor that improves efficiency by 52.6% compared to an electromagnetic generator. The output surface power density of TENG in ETMHG can reach 1.12 W m−2.