Development of Self-Powered e-Gear Selector based on Single Electrode Triboelectric Nanogenerators (TENGs) Technology

A novel e-Gear selector single electrode based triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) was successfully designed, fabricated, and tested on flexible substrates. The proposed device consists of four TENG sensors representing the traditional gear shift selector (P, R, N, and D). Leather, cotton, paper, and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) were selected as bottom triboelectric layers for TENG 1, TENG 2, TENG 3, and TENG 4, respectively. Silver (Ag) ink was screen-printed on the backside of each layer representing the single electrode. Human skin was chosen as the top triboelectric layer. Based on the selection of the materials, each TENG device generates different output voltages, enabling the selection of the intended gear mode without the need for a complex control algorithm. The TENG device was characterized in terms of open circuit voltage (V
_oc
) and short circuit current (I
_sc
). The repeatability and reproducibility of the TENG device were evaluated by fabricating three samples of each TENG device and by testing each TENG device three times. An average V
_oc
of 4.27 ± 0.36 V
_pp
, 7 ± 0.31 V
_pp
, 9.05 ± 0.21 V
_pp
, and 12.38 ± 0.34 V
_pp
, resulted in a power density of 0.37 ± 0.05 μW/cm², 0.72 ± 0.09 μW/cm², 0.95 ± 0.07 μW/cm², and 1.74 ± 0.10 μW/cm², were measured for the TENG 1, TENG 2, TENG 3 and TENG 4, respectively. The performance of the e-Gear selector showcased the potential of the TENG energy harvesting method for integration into the automotive industry, aligning with the rapid advancements in electric vehicle (EV) applications. This technology is particularly promising for future gear selector designs, as it eliminates the need for external power supplies, reduces cost, minimizes wiring, and offers greater flexibility in positioning within the vehicle.