A triboelectric nanogenerator for harvesting intermittent wind energy
By designing a track-tilting structure and combining it with an electromagnetic generator to create a triboelectric nanogenerator, the problem of poor wind energy collection efficiency in low-speed, disordered, and intermittent wind energy generation has been solved, achieving efficient conversion and utilization of wind energy.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510350810.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-06
- Estimated Expiration
- 2045-03-24
AI Technical Summary
Existing triboelectric nanogenerators are ineffective at collecting low-speed, disordered, and intermittent wind energy, and cannot effectively utilize this type of wind energy.
Design a device comprising a base, a drive shaft, fan blades, and a triboelectric nanogenerator. The fan blades drive the triboelectric nanogenerator to rotate via the drive shaft. Power generation is achieved by utilizing an inclined track structure and ball bearings moving between electrodes. Combined with an electromagnetic generator, the power generation efficiency is improved.
It enables sensitive collection and efficient conversion of low-speed, intermittent wind energy into electrical energy, improving the utilization rate and power generation efficiency of wind energy and adapting to environments with unpredictable wind directions.
Smart Images

Figure CN120128002B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of triboelectric nanogenerator technology, and more specifically to a triboelectric nanogenerator for collecting intermittent wind energy. Background Technology
[0002] Wind energy resources are abundant, renewable, and widely distributed, playing a vital role in global green energy. In recent years, clean and renewable energy forms such as wind power have significantly reduced environmental pollution from burning fossil fuels and, to some extent, alleviated the energy crisis. Current technologies generally utilize wind turbines to generate electricity from wind energy. Due to extensive research into wind turbine technology, many large-scale wind farms have been built. Existing wind turbines typically operate in areas with strong winds. However, in areas with strong winds, the wind is orderly and its direction is fixed, allowing a single wind turbine to generate megawatts of power. This means that while existing wind turbines can utilize and generate electricity from wind energy, they are only suitable for areas with strong winds. A large portion of wind energy in the environment is low-speed, disordered, and directionally chaotic, making it impossible for existing wind turbines to collect this type of energy. Triboelectric nanogenerators can overcome this deficiency, enabling the collection of low-frequency, disordered, minute, and highly chaotic energy. When collecting wind energy, existing triboelectric nanogenerators mostly still use a rotor-stator combination structure. Since a large part of wind energy in the environment is low-speed, directionally unstable, and intermittently generated, existing triboelectric nanogenerators have poor collection effects on this type of wind energy. Summary of the Invention
[0003] To address the technical problem of poor wind energy collection efficiency in existing triboelectric nanogenerators for low-speed and intermittent wind energy, this invention provides a triboelectric nanogenerator for collecting intermittent wind energy.
[0004] This invention employs the following technical solution: a triboelectric nanogenerator for collecting intermittent wind energy, comprising a base and a power generation component, the power generation component being rotatably mounted on the base. The power generation component includes a drive shaft and fan blades and a triboelectric nanogenerator coaxially fixed to the drive shaft. The fan blades drive the triboelectric nanogenerator to rotate synchronously via the drive shaft. The triboelectric nanogenerator includes a housing, an electrode layer, and multiple ball bearings. The housing is a sealed structure and horizontally mounted on the drive shaft. Multiple tracks are provided inside the housing, the tracks being annular and concentrically arranged with the drive shaft. The bottom surface of each track slopes downwards from the outside to the inside. The electrode layer is adhered to the bottom surface of the track, and the multiple ball bearings are located above the electrode layer. The electrode layer includes electrode one and electrode two, respectively located near the inner and outer sides of the track, and the two do not contact each other. When the fan blades rotate, the ball bearings tend to move outwards due to centrifugal force; when the fan blades stop rotating, they tend to move inwards due to gravity. This achieves the use of intermittent wind energy to drive the ball bearings to move between electrode one and electrode two and generate electricity.
[0005] As a further improvement of the present invention, both electrode one and electrode two are conductive sheets with a ring structure.
[0006] As a further improvement of the present invention, the widths of electrode one and electrode two are the same; the diameter of the ball is the same as the width of electrode one.
[0007] As a further improvement of the present invention, the housing includes a cover and a conical barrel that gradually increases in the radial direction of the opening. The cover is detachably fitted onto the conical barrel, and the conical barrel is concentrically arranged with the drive shaft. Multiple annular baffles are installed on the inner surface of the conical barrel. The multiple annular baffles are equally spaced along the radial direction of the conical barrel, and two adjacent annular baffles and the cover form a track.
[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, the housing includes a cover and a disc-shaped plate. The upper surface of the plate is recessed downward to form multiple tracks. The multiple tracks are equally spaced along the radial direction of the drive shaft. The cover is detachably fitted onto the plate and surrounds each track to form a closed track structure.
[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, the drive shaft and the base are connected by bearings.
[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, the fan blade is a vertical axis impeller or a wind cup.
[0011] As a further improvement to the present invention, the ball bearing is a small ball made of PTFE material.
[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, both electrode one and electrode two are copper conductive sheets.
[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the base includes a base plate and a hollow rotating cylinder. One end of the rotating cylinder is fixedly connected to a drive shaft, and the other end is rotatably connected to the base plate. An electromagnetic generator is installed inside the rotating cylinder. The electromagnetic generator includes a stator and a rotor. The rotor is fixed to the inner wall of the rotating cylinder, and the stator is fixed to the base plate and located inside the rotating cylinder. When the fan blades are blown by the wind and rotate, they drive the rotating cylinder to rotate through the drive shaft. The relative motion between the rotor and the stator realizes the conversion of wind energy into electrical energy.
[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, the fan blade includes a mounting plate and a plurality of rectangular thin plates. The mounting plate has a circular structure, and the plurality of rectangular thin plates are distributed on the mounting plate at circumferential intervals with the center of the mounting plate as the center point, and each rectangular thin plate does not contact each other.
[0015] The technical solution provided by this invention has the following beneficial effects:
[0016] (1) The triboelectric nano-power generation device of the present invention sets the track to a downward inclined structure from the outside to the inside, so that the power generation component of the present application does not need to rotate a full circle to generate electricity. As long as there is a moment when the wind can drive the fan blade to rotate, the operation of a whole power generation cycle can be completed. Through this operation, not only can low-speed and intermittent wind energy be sensitively collected, but also the collected wind energy can be effectively converted into electrical energy, thereby realizing the full utilization of wind energy.
[0017] (2) The triboelectric nanogenerator of the present invention is made by the triboelectric nanogenerator and the electromagnetic generator at the lower end working together. The triboelectric nanogenerator can sensitively collect low-speed, intermittent wind energy, while the electromagnetic generator can collect both continuous and intermittent wind energy. The combination of the two can further improve the power generation efficiency of the entire triboelectric nanogenerator and also improve the practicality of the triboelectric nanogenerator of the present invention. Attached Figure Description
[0018] Figure 1 A perspective view of the triboelectric nanogenerator for collecting intermittent wind energy provided by the present invention.
[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the components of the triboelectric nanogenerator for collecting intermittent wind energy provided by the present invention when separated.
[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the separation of the cover and the conical barrel provided by the present invention.
[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the conical barrel provided by the present invention.
[0022] Figure 5This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the conical barrel provided by the present invention.
[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the conical barrel provided by the present invention with balls placed inside in cross-section.
[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the plate provided by the present invention with balls placed inside in a cross-sectional view.
[0025] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the specific structure of one type of fan blade provided by the present invention.
[0026] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another specific fan blade mounted on a base, provided by the present invention.
[0027] Figure 10 A schematic diagram illustrating the power generation principle of the triboelectric nanogenerator provided by this invention.
[0028] The following are marked in the diagram: 1. Base; 11. Base plate; 12. Rotating cylinder; 21. Drive shaft; 22. Fan blade; 23. Triboelectric nanogenerator; 231. Shell; 232. Ball bearing; 233. Track; 234. Electrode 1; 235. Electrode 2; 236. Cover; 237. Conical barrel; 238. Plate. Detailed Implementation
[0029] The present invention will now be further described in conjunction with specific embodiments. It should be noted that, without conflict, the various embodiments or technical features described below can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments.
[0030] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that directional terms such as "center," "lateral," "longitudinal," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation and positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. They should not be construed as limiting the specific scope of protection of this invention. The terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification and claims of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. The terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, in the specification and claims of this invention, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.
[0031] This embodiment provides a triboelectric nanogenerator for harvesting intermittent wind energy. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figures 1 to 3 The device includes a base 1 and a power generation component, which is rotatably mounted on the base 1. In practical applications, the triboelectric nanogenerator is fixed by the base 1. In windy environments, the power generation component can rotate relative to the base 1 under the influence of the wind. The power generation component includes a drive shaft 21, a fan blade 22, and a triboelectric nanogenerator 23. One end of the drive shaft 21 is rotatably mounted on the base 1, and the other end of the drive shaft 21 is connected to the fan blade 22 and the triboelectric nanogenerator 23, respectively. The fan blade 22 and the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 are coaxially fixed on the drive shaft 21. The fan blade 22 drives the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 to rotate synchronously through the drive shaft 21. The triboelectric nanogenerator 23 includes a housing 231, an electrode layer, and multiple ball bearings 232. The housing 231 is a sealed structure and is horizontally mounted on the drive shaft 21. Please refer to... Figures 3 to 5The housing 231 contains multiple tracks 233, all of which are annular and concentrically arranged with the drive shaft 21. The bottom surface of each track 233 slopes downward from the outside in. An electrode layer is attached to the bottom surface of the track 233, and multiple balls 232 are located above the electrode layer. The electrode layer includes electrode one 234 and electrode two 235. Electrode one 234 is located on the inner side of the track 233, and electrode two 235 is located on the outer side of the track 233, with electrode two 235 not in contact with electrode one 234. When the fan blade 22 rotates, the balls 232 tend to move outward from the track 233 due to centrifugal force. When the fan blade 22 stops rotating, the balls 232 tend to move inward from the track 233 due to gravity. This allows the intermittent wind energy to drive the balls 232 to move between electrode one 234 and electrode two 235 to generate electricity. Because the bottom surface of track 233 in this design is inclined downwards from the outside to the inside, the ball bearing 232 will remain on electrode 234 under gravity in the initial windless state. When the fan blade 22 is blown by the wind and rotates, it will drive the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 to rotate through the transmission shaft 21. At this time, the ball bearing 232 moves from electrode 234 to electrode 235 under the action of centrifugal force. Through this operation, the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 can convert wind energy into electrical energy. After the fan blade 22 stops rotating, the ball bearing 232 can also fall back from electrode 235 to electrode 234 under the action of gravity. Even without external force, the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 of this application can achieve triboelectric power generation through the gravity of the ball bearing 232. Therefore, the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 of this application can realize the intermittent conversion of wind energy into electrical energy by the ball bearing 232 rolling back and forth between electrode 234 and electrode 235.
[0032] It is understood that the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 and the fan blade 22 can be mounted at any position on the drive shaft 21 as needed. For example, the fan blade 22 can be mounted on the end of the drive shaft 21 away from the end connected to the base 1, and the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 can be located between the fan blade 22 and the base 1.
[0033] When actually assembling the triboelectric nanogenerator 23, it is necessary to ensure that the bottom surface of the track 233 in the horizontal direction is inclined downward from the outside to the inside. This ensures that the ball bearings 232 in the track 233 will roll from electrode 1 234 to electrode 235 under the action of centrifugal force and fall back from electrode 235 to electrode 1 234 under the action of gravity, thereby effectively converting wind energy into electrical energy.
[0034] Understandably, the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 in this design can be divided into two power generation stages. The first stage occurs under windy conditions, where the fan blades 22 and drive shaft 21 drive the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 to rotate, causing the ball bearings 232 to roll from electrode one 234 to electrode two 235, thus converting wind energy into electrical energy. The second stage occurs under windless conditions or when the wind direction changes. In these conditions, the ball bearings 232 will fall back from electrode two 235 to electrode one 234 under their own gravity. Under conditions of no wind or insufficient wind force to make the ball bearings 232 roll towards electrode two 235 under centrifugal force, the fan blades 22 stop moving. At this time, the ball bearings 232 will naturally fall back from electrode two 235 to electrode one 234 under gravity, thus converting wind energy into electrical energy. When the wind direction changes, the fan blades 22 need to change from clockwise to counterclockwise rotation or vice versa. Regardless of the reversing direction, the fan blade 22 needs to stop rotating before changing direction. When the fan blade 22 stops, the ball bearing 232 will fall from electrode 235 to electrode 234 under the action of gravity. After reversing direction, due to the centrifugal force, the ball bearing 232 will roll from electrode 234 to electrode 235. Therefore, the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 of this application can effectively convert some low-speed, disordered, unstable wind energy or intermittent wind energy into electrical energy, thereby improving the utilization rate of wind energy.
[0035] In this design, by setting the track 233 to a downward-sloping structure from the outside to the inside, the power generation component of this application does not need to rotate a full circle to generate electricity. A single moment of wind power is enough to drive the fan blade 22 to rotate, completing a full power generation cycle, thus fully utilizing wind energy. The above-mentioned beneficial effects can be understood as follows: the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 in our design only requires a moment of wind power to drive the fan blade 22 to rotate, enabling the ball bearing 232 to roll from electrode one 234 to electrode two 235. Even without wind power as a driving source, the ball bearing 232 located on electrode two 235 can fall back to electrode one 234 under its own gravity. Through this operation, the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 in this design can complete a full power generation cycle even with only a moment of wind power. Furthermore, within this entire power generation cycle, the ball bearing 232 first rolls from electrode one 234 to electrode two 235, and then falls back from electrode two 235 to electrode one 234. This operation not only enables sensitive collection of low-speed, intermittent wind energy but also effectively converts this collected wind energy into electrical energy. However, existing triboelectric nanogenerators 23 rotate only a small angle during a brief period of wind, resulting in limited energy conversion. To convert more energy, continuous wind force is required for the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 to rotate or oscillate continuously, thus effectively converting wind energy into electricity. Therefore, existing triboelectric nanogenerators 23 have low utilization rates for this type of low-speed, intermittent wind energy. Our solution, through the aforementioned ingenious design, allows the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 to complete a full power generation cycle even during brief periods of wind, achieving a high conversion rate of wind energy into electrical energy and improving wind energy utilization.
[0036] In the actual design process, to further improve the efficiency of wind energy conversion into electrical energy, the distance between electrodes 234 and 235 is designed to be as small as possible while ensuring that electrodes 234 and 235 do not come into contact with each other. The purpose of this design is that when the fan blade 22 rotates due to a small breeze, it drives the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 to rotate via the drive shaft 21. Because the gap between electrodes 234 and 235 is very small, the ball bearing 232 can still roll from electrode 234 to electrode 235 under a small centrifugal force. Furthermore, after the wind stops, the ball bearing 232 can also roll from electrode 235 to electrode 234 under the action of gravity, thereby achieving effective collection of wind energy at low wind speeds.
[0037] Based on the above scheme, this application has made the following improvements: Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2The base 1 includes a base plate 11 and a hollow rotating cylinder 12. One end of the rotating cylinder 12 is fixedly connected to a drive shaft 21, and the other end of the rotating cylinder 12 is rotatably connected to the base plate 11. This configuration allows the fan blades 22 to rotate simultaneously via the drive shaft 21, driving both the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 and the rotating cylinder 12. An electromagnetic generator is installed inside the rotating cylinder 12, which, under the rotation of the cylinder 12, drives the electromagnetic generator to convert wind energy into electrical energy. This configuration enables the triboelectric nanogenerator in this solution to not only effectively collect and utilize intermittent wind energy but also to be used in environments with continuous wind power. This further improves the practicality of the entire triboelectric nanogenerator and also increases the utilization rate of wind energy.
[0038] Specifically, the electromagnetic generator includes a stator and a rotor. The rotor is fixed to the inner wall of the rotating drum 12, and the stator is fixed to the base plate 11 and located inside the rotating drum 12. The rotor can be a rotating electromagnet, and the stator can be a stationary iron core with a charged coil, which is used to generate an induced electromotive force. When the rotor rotates under the drive of the rotating drum 12, relative motion occurs between the magnet on the rotor and the coil on the stator, thereby cutting the magnetic field lines, causing an induced electromotive force to be generated in the coil, and thus forming a current. Therefore, for the base 1, when the fan blade 22 rotates under the wind, the fan blade 22 simultaneously drives the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 and the rotating drum 12 to rotate through the transmission shaft 21. The rotor located inside the rotating drum 12 will generate relative motion with the stator, thereby converting wind energy into electrical energy. In this application, the upper triboelectric nanogenerator 23 enables the effective collection and utilization of low-speed and intermittently generated wind energy. Combined with the lower electromagnetic generator, the lower triboelectric nanogenerator 23 can effectively collect and utilize wind energy not only during intermittent periods but also during periods of continuous wind activity. Through the combined use of these two components, wind energy can be further collected and converted into electrical energy, thereby improving the utilization rate of wind energy.
[0039] Understandably, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4Both electrode 234 and electrode 235 are annular conductive sheets, which can fully utilize the space within track 233. During power generation, each ball 232, electrode 234, and electrode 235 can form a small power generation unit. Therefore, in practical applications, the maximum number of balls 232 in each track 233 can be just enough to fill one ring of the annular electrode 234. This arrangement not only maximizes the placement of multiple balls 232 within a limited space, thus forming multiple power generation units and improving power generation efficiency, but also avoids the situation where some balls 232 cannot roll back and forth between electrode 234 and electrode 235 due to an excessive number of balls 232, preventing the achievement of triboelectric power generation. Electrode 234 and electrode 235 have the same width, and the diameter of the balls 232 is the same as the width of electrode 234, and the diameter of the balls 232 is much larger than the distance between electrode 234 and electrode 235. This limitation ensures that whenever the fan blade 22 rotates, the ball bearing 232 can quickly roll from electrode 1 234 to electrode 235 under the action of centrifugal force, and quickly fall back from electrode 235 to electrode 1 234 under the action of gravity when there is no wind. This setting increases the number of times the ball bearing 232 rolls back and forth between electrode 1 234 and electrode 235 per unit time, thereby increasing the power generation cycle of the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 in this application per unit time, thereby improving the power generation efficiency per unit time and realizing full utilization of wind energy. In addition, by setting the diameter of the ball bearing 232 and the width of electrode 1 234 to be the same size, whenever the fan blade 22 is driven to rotate by the drive shaft 21, the ball bearing 232 will move away from electrode 1 234 and contact electrode 235 under the action of centrifugal force, thereby enabling the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 in this application to collect low-speed and intermittently generated wind energy more sensitively.
[0040] In this embodiment, the housing 231 may have the following two specific structures.
[0041] The first method: Please refer to... Figures 3 to 6The housing 231 includes a cover 236 and a conical barrel 237, the diameter of which gradually increases from bottom to top. The cover 236 is detachably fitted onto the upper end of the conical barrel 237, and the cover 236 and the conical barrel 237 together form a sealed housing 231. The conical barrel 237 is concentrically arranged with the drive shaft 21, and the bottom of the conical barrel 237 is horizontally fixed to the drive shaft 21. The horizontal fixing ensures that the balls 232 in each track 233 will not slip off the electrode 234 due to the tilt of the conical barrel 237 in a windless state. Multiple annular baffles are installed on the inner surface of the conical barrel 237, and the baffles are vertically upward. The multiple annular baffles are equally spaced along the radial direction of the conical barrel 237, and two adjacent annular baffles and the cover 236 form the track 233. In this structure, a conical barrel 237 with a gradually increasing radial diameter is provided, allowing the sidewall of the conical barrel 237 to serve as the downward-sloping bottom surface of the track 233. This allows the ball bearing 232 to roll back and forth between electrode 1 234 and electrode 235 as the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 rotates with the drive shaft 21. The centrifugal force generated by the rotation and the gravity from the inclined bottom surface of the track 233 work together to drive the ball bearing 232. This converts wind energy into the motion of the ball bearing 232, and the motion of the ball bearing 232 generates triboelectric power, thus converting wind energy into electrical energy that can be used by other electrical appliances.
[0042] It is understood that the opening of the conical barrel 237 faces upwards, and a mounting hole is provided at the center of the bottom of the conical barrel 237. The conical barrel 237 is fixed to the drive shaft 21 through the mounting hole. The cross-section of the conical barrel 237 can be regarded as an inverted trapezoidal structure. In this embodiment, the angle between the bottom surface of the track 233 and the horizontal direction can be set to 4.5°. At this tilt angle, the ball 232 can smoothly roll back and forth between electrode one 234 and electrode two 235, improving the smoothness of the ball 232 during rolling friction. In actual use, the angle between the bottom surface of the track 233 and the horizontal direction can be adjusted according to the specific environment required for the application of the triboelectric nanogenerator. The adjustment is based on ensuring that the ball 232 moves back and forth smoothly between electrode one 234 and electrode two 235 without effort when sliding upwards and downwards.
[0043] Please refer to the following during the actual design process of the baffle. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The outermost annular baffle is flush with the outermost wall of the conical barrel 237 in the vertical direction, and the tops of all the baffles are at the same height, making the upper end of the conical barrel 237 a horizontal structure, which facilitates the cover 236 to close onto the upper end of the horizontally structured conical barrel 237. The cover 236 and the conical barrel 237 can form a sealed shell 231, and the multiple tracks 233 are independent of each other.
[0044] The second type: The shell 231 includes a cover 236 and a disc-shaped plate 238, please refer to... Figure 7 The upper surface of the plate 238 is recessed downward to form multiple tracks 233, which are equally spaced along the radial direction of the drive shaft 21. The cover 236 is detachably fitted onto the plate 238 and surrounds each track 233 to form a sealed track 233 structure.
[0045] The plate 238 has a through hole in the center and is fixed to the drive shaft 21. The recessed track 233 is also concentric with the drive shaft 21, and the bottom surface of the track 233 is also inclined downward from the outside to the inside of the disc-shaped plate 238.
[0046] Regardless of the specific structure of the housing 231 described above, the angle between the bottom surface of each track 233 and the horizontal plane, as well as the radial width of each track 233 on the drive shaft 21, are all the same. Furthermore, the housing 231 must be horizontally mounted on the drive shaft 21. This arrangement ensures that the movement of each ball 232 within each track 233 is identical, allowing the current generated by the multiple balls 232 during triboelectric power generation to be superimposed. Since each ball 232 within each track 233 moves in the same manner, the power generation of each ball 232 within each track 233 is synchronized. Therefore, when leading the current generated by these tracks 233 out of the circuit, the first electrode 234 of each track 233 can be directly connected in parallel via a first wire, and the second electrode 235 of each track 233 can be connected in parallel via a second wire. The other end of wire 1, which is connected in parallel with multiple electrodes 234, is then connected to the positive terminal of the rectifier circuit. The other end of wire 2, which is connected in parallel with multiple electrodes 235, is connected to the negative terminal of the rectifier circuit. This allows direct current to be output for the load. This design reduces the inconvenience of each track 233 needing its own rectifier circuit and eliminates unnecessary energy losses caused by multiple rectifier circuits. Thus, it simplifies the overall structure of the device while improving the utilization rate of electrical energy.
[0047] Furthermore, during actual installation, the upper end of the cover 236 can be connected to the mounting plate of the fan blade 22 by adhesive bonding, and the cover 236 can also be connected to the conical barrel 237 or the plate 238 by adhesive bonding. It is understandable that the cover 236 can also be connected to the conical barrel 237 or the plate 238 by snap-fit.
[0048] In this embodiment, the drive shaft 21 and the base plate 11 are connected by bearings. This allows the drive shaft 21 to rotate relative to the base plate 11. The base plate 11 may have screw holes. In practical applications, the base plate 11 can be fixed with screws to install the triboelectric nanogenerator. During installation, the housing 231 must be horizontally positioned. This design ensures efficient power generation and also guarantees that each ball bearing 232 within each track 233 is initially positioned on the electrode 234 in a windless state, thus maintaining consistent motion for each ball bearing 232 even when exposed to wind.
[0049] In practical applications, the cover 236 can be made of a lightweight and insulating material through 3D printing. Using a lighter material can reduce energy loss during the conversion of wind energy into electrical energy. At the same time, by setting the cover 236, the track 233 can also be a closed structure, thereby preventing the balls 232 located in the track 233 from being thrown out and preventing foreign objects from entering the track 233.
[0050] The fan blade 22 can be a vertical impeller or wind cup, which rotates under the influence of external wind to convert wind energy into kinetic energy. The fan blade 22 can be 3D printed in one step, and then a metal optical shaft is fixed in it for transmission. In this case, the metal optical shaft is the transmission shaft 21 described above. It can be understood that the fan blade 22 can also be made by welding metal blades to the transmission shaft 21.
[0051] In this embodiment, please refer to Figure 8 The fan blades 22 can rotate bidirectionally under the influence of external wind, enabling them to effectively collect wind energy even when the wind direction is uncertain. When collecting wind energy with an unpredictable wind direction, the bidirectional rotation of the fan blades 22 causes them to decelerate to zero during reversal. As the fan blades 22 rotate and then decelerate to zero, the ball bearings 232 within the track 233 move from electrode one 234 to electrode two 235, and then, under the influence of gravity, fall back from electrode two 235 to electrode one 234 when decelerating to zero. This allows the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 in this design to continuously generate electricity in environments with unpredictable wind direction by changing the rotation direction of the fan blades 22 using unpredictable wind.
[0052] The following describes the specific structure of one type of bidirectional rotating fan blade 22. Please refer to... Figure 8The fan blade 22 may include a mounting plate and multiple rectangular thin plates, the mounting plate being a circular plate. Multiple rectangular thin plates are distributed circumferentially on the mounting plate with the center of the plate as the midpoint, and each rectangular thin plate is independent and does not contact each other. This design reduces the resistance between the fan blade and the wind, allowing the fan blade of this embodiment to rotate even in light wind conditions. The lower surface of the mounting plate is fixed to the drive shaft 21, and the center of the mounting plate coincides with the central axis of the drive shaft 21. By setting multiple rectangular thin plates that do not contact each other, the fan blade 22 can rotate bidirectionally under the influence of wind. Thus, the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 in this solution can continuously generate electricity in environments with variable wind direction by changing the rotation direction of the fan blade 22 through unpredictable wind. The fan blade can also be, for example, Figure 9 The structure shown. Figure 9 The fan blades consist of five blades, each with an arc-shaped cross-section. This arc-shaped structure reduces wind resistance, allowing the fan blades in this embodiment to rotate even in light winds.
[0053] The ball 232 can be a small PTFE ball with a smooth surface, which reduces resistance during sliding. Both electrode 234 and electrode 235 can be copper conductive sheets. The materials for the ball 232 and the electrodes can be selected according to the materials in Table 1 below. It is preferable that the electron gain / loss capabilities of the ball 232 and the electrodes differ significantly during the selection process.
[0054] Table 1. Triboelectric series of common materials
[0055]
[0056] Note: Materials with a positive bias are more likely to lose electrons, while materials with a negative bias are more likely to gain electrons.
[0057] Furthermore, the spheres in this embodiment can also be made of conductive material. When a conductive material is selected, it can form a "conductor-conductor triboelectric nanogenerator 23" with the electrode layer. In this case, a material needs to be selected as the insulating dielectric layer according to the materials in Table 1. Preferably, the material of the insulating dielectric layer can be a material that easily gains electrons from Table 1. This results in a triboelectric nanogenerator with a large charge accumulation, a large induced current, and a high power generation efficiency.
[0058] The working principle of the triboelectric nanogenerator in this embodiment is described below using a specific scenario. In the initial windless state, because the bottom surface of track 233 is a slope, the ball bearing 232 inside track 233 will remain on electrode 234 within track 233 under the influence of gravity, close to the inner wall of track 233. When the triboelectric nanogenerator is working, the fan blade 22 is driven by the wind to rotate, causing the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 to rotate synchronously via the transmission shaft 21. At this time, the ball bearing overcomes gravity and slides outward to electrode 235 under the action of centrifugal force. When the wind stops or the fan blade 22 changes direction, the entire power generation component stops rotating, and the ball bearing 232 slides back to the bottom under gravity. During this working cycle, the power generation principle of the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 is as follows: Figure 10 As shown, it can include four states: (1), (2), (3), and (4). Figure 10In this context, the blue ball represents the ball bearing, the electrode connected to the left side of the load is electrode one, and the electrode connected to the right side of the load is electrode two. The following describes the four states (1), (2), (3), and (4): (1) This state is the initial state. At this time, the ball bearing 232 is stopped on electrode one 234. Since copper easily loses electrons and PTFE easily gains electrons, negative charges will accumulate on the surface of the ball bearing 232, and positive charges will also be induced on the side of electrode one 234 away from the ball bearing 232. However, since the two are in contact, the overall state is electrically neutral, and there is no current in the external circuit at this time. (2) This state is when the ball bearing 232 is driven to slide towards electrode two 235 under the action of centrifugal force. At this time, the area of the ball bearing 232 facing electrode one 234 decreases while the area of the ball bearing 232 facing electrode two 235 increases. Positive charges are induced on the parts of electrode 1 234 and electrode 2 235 that are directed towards the small ball. However, as the ball 232 moves, the positive charge on the surface of electrode 1 234 gradually decreases, while the positive charge on the surface of electrode 2 235 gradually increases. At this time, the charge has actually been transferred through the external circuit. Therefore, the current in the external circuit flows from electrode 1 234 to electrode 2 235. (3) In this state, the ball 232 enters electrode 2 235 under the action of centrifugal force and will fall back from electrode 2 235 to electrode 1 234. At this time, the induced charge on electrode 2 235 is the largest, but the current in the external circuit is 0. (4) In this state, as the wind stops, the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 also stops rotating. At this time, the ball 232 will roll back from electrode 2 235 to electrode 1 234 under the action of gravity. During this stage, the induced charge on electrode 234 gradually increases, while the induced charge on electrode 235 gradually decreases. Therefore, current is generated in the external circuit, flowing from electrode 235 to electrode 234 until the ball bearing 232 returns to state (1). In actual operation, this cycle can be repeated to effectively convert wind energy into electrical energy. As described above, the power generation component of this invention can complete a full power generation cycle even with only a momentary wind force, and generates current twice during this cycle. Therefore, the power generation component of this invention can effectively convert wind energy into electrical energy, improving its power generation efficiency.
[0059] It is understood that the triboelectric nanogenerator in this embodiment can be used not only to collect wind energy but also to collect wave energy. Since the triboelectric nanogenerator needs to come into contact with water when collecting wave energy, the stability and waterproofness of the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 must be ensured during assembly. It is understood that when collecting wave energy using the triboelectric nanogenerator in this embodiment, its casing must also be horizontally positioned to ensure that the ball bearings 232 inside the casing roll towards the electrode 235 under centrifugal force when the fan blades drive the triboelectric nanogenerator to rotate. Furthermore, when collecting wave energy, the sealing performance within the track 233 can be improved by adding sealing strips at the junction of the cover 236 and the conical barrel 237. Sealing strips also need to be added at the connection between the base 1 and the drive shaft 21, and at the connection between the rotating cylinder 12 and the base plate 11, sealing strips or other common sealing methods in the prior art are also needed to improve the sealing performance of these connections. It is understood that other areas of the triboelectric nanogenerator in this embodiment that require sealing can also have their sealing effect enhanced using existing sealing methods. Specifically, when the triboelectric nanogenerator in this embodiment is used to collect wave energy, the fan blade 22 can be placed in water. Driven by the waves, the fan blade 22 will rotate, and the fan blade 22 will drive the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 to rotate through the transmission shaft 21. Thus, the triboelectric nanogenerator 23 will rotate synchronously. At this time, the ball bearing 232 located in the track 233 will roll back and forth between the first electrode 234 and the second electrode 235 under the action of centrifugal force and gravity to realize the conversion of wave energy into electrical energy.
[0060] The basic principles, main features, and advantages of this invention have been described above. Those skilled in the art should understand that this invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. The scope of protection claimed by this invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A frictional nano-generator for harvesting intermittent wind energy, characterized in that, It includes a base and a power generation assembly, the power generation assembly is rotatably mounted on the base; The power generation assembly includes a transmission shaft, and a fan blade and a friction nanometer generator coaxially fixed on the transmission shaft, the fan blade drives the friction nanometer generator to rotate synchronously through the transmission shaft; The friction nanometer generator includes a shell, an electrode layer and a plurality of balls, the shell is a sealed structure and is horizontally mounted on the transmission shaft; a plurality of tracks are arranged in the shell, the tracks are annular structures and are concentrically arranged with the transmission shaft; the bottom surface of each track is inclined downward from the outside to the inside; the electrode layer is attached to the bottom surface of the track, and a plurality of balls are located above the electrode layer; The electrode layer includes electrode one and electrode two close to the inner side of the track and the outer side of the track respectively, and the two are not in contact with each other; When the fan blade rotates, the balls have a tendency to move to the outer side of the track under the influence of centrifugal force; and when it stops rotating, it has a tendency to move to the inner side of the track under the influence of gravity; thereby realizing the use of intermittent wind energy to drive the balls to move between electrode one and electrode two and generate electricity.
2. The frictional nanogenerator for harvesting intermittent wind energy as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The electrode one and the electrode two are both annular conductive sheets.
3. The frictional nanogenerator for harvesting intermittent wind energy as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The width of the electrode one and the electrode two is the same; the diameter of the ball is the same as the width of the electrode one.
4. The frictional nanogenerator for harvesting intermittent wind energy as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The shell includes a cover and a conical barrel with an increasing caliber upward, the cover is detachably covered on the conical barrel, and the conical barrel is concentrically arranged with the transmission shaft; a plurality of annular baffles are mounted on the inner surface of the conical barrel, a plurality of the annular baffles are arranged at equal intervals along the radial direction of the conical barrel, and adjacent two annular baffles and the cover enclose the track.
5. The frictional nanogenerator for harvesting intermittent wind energy as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The shell includes a cover and a circular cake-shaped plate body, the upper surface of the plate body is concave downward to form a plurality of tracks, and a plurality of the tracks are arranged at equal intervals along the radial direction of the transmission shaft; the cover is detachably covered on the plate body and encloses each track into a closed track.
6. The frictional nanogenerator for harvesting intermittent wind energy as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The transmission shaft and the base are connected through a bearing.
7. The frictional nanogenerator for harvesting intermittent wind energy as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The fan blade is a vertical axis wind wheel or a wind cup.
8. The frictional nanogenerators for harvesting intermittent wind energy as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The ball is a small ball made of PTFE material; the electrode one and the electrode two are both copper conductive sheets.
9. The frictional nanogenerators for harvesting intermittent wind energy as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The base includes a bottom plate and a hollow structure of a rotating drum, one end of the rotating drum is fixedly connected with the transmission shaft, and the other end is rotatably connected with the bottom plate; an electromagnetic generator is mounted in the rotating drum, the electromagnetic generator includes a stator and a rotor, the rotor is fixed to the inner wall of the rotating drum, and the stator is fixed to the bottom plate and located in the rotating drum; when the fan blade is blown by the wind and rotates, the rotating drum is driven to rotate through the transmission shaft, and the rotor and the stator produce relative motion to realize the conversion of wind energy into electric energy.
10. The frictional nanogenerators for harvesting intermittent wind energy as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The fan blade includes a mounting plate and a plurality of rectangular thin plates, the mounting plate is circular, a plurality of the rectangular thin plates are distributed on the mounting plate at equal intervals with the center of the mounting plate as the midpoint, and each of the rectangular thin plates is not in contact with each other.
Citation Information
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