A Natural Wind-Driven 3D-Printed Miniaturized and Fully Enclosed Hybrid Nanogenerator Using Flexible Blade Structure for Subway Tunnel Applications

We have proposed and experimentally validated a natural wind-driven hybrid nanogenerator (WH-NG) based on triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and electromagnetic generator (EMG) for efficiently scavenging ambient wind energy. The flexible-blade based hybridization mode TENG and multipole disc-magnets based EMG were introduced into a single rotating system to obtain a high-power output under low wind speed. Nano-structure modified PTFE and Al surfaces were utilized as triboelectric materials to increase the output power of the TENG. Thus, the output features of TENG with high voltage and low current were compensated by combining with opposite performance of EMG to develop a high-performance hybrid nanogenerator. A 3D-printed WH-NG delivered a maximum output power of 245 mW across the matching load resistance of 2 kΩ at 6 m/s of natural wind speed. The quick capacitor charging capability and fully enclosed structure of the WH-NG prove the feasibility for the practical applications.