Magnetic-field-assisted triboelectric nanogenerator for harvesting multi-directional wave energy

Ocean wave energy is a significant and promising source of renewable energy. However, the energy harvesting is challenging due to the multi-directional nature of waves. This paper proposes a magnetic-field-assisted triboelectric nanogenerator (MFA-TENG) for harvesting multi-directional wave energy. By incorporating a magnetic field, the planar motion of the pendulum is converted into spatial motion, increasing the triggering of multilayered TENG (M-TENG) and enhancing the output energy of the MFA-TENG. Experimental results demonstrate that the output energy of the MFA-TENG is increased by 73% by utilizing the magnetic field. Moreover, a spring model based on the origami-structured M-TENG is established to analyze the effect of different equivalent stiffnesses on the performance of the M-TENG, aiming to obtain optimal output performance. The results showcase the impressive output performance of the M-TENG, generating outputs of 250 V, 18 µA, and 255 nC. Furthermore, the proposed MFA-TENG effectively harvests multi-directional wave energy under water-wave driven conditions. This study significantly enhances the ability of the MFA-TENG to harvest multi-directional wave energy and presents a promising approach for self-powered marine monitoring in the future.