Effect of water droplet wetting behavior on water-droplet-based electricity generator performance

Droplet-based electricity generators (DEGs) have garnered significant interest due to their straightforward metal substrate/dielectric/metal electrode configurations and their capacity to produce instantaneous high power. This study investigates the influence of droplet conductivity and drop conditions on circuit parameters through an analysis of I–V characteristics under varying load resistance conditions. The results reveal that alterations in droplet resistance and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) charge density due to varying droplet dynamics play a pivotal role in shaping DEG output. The charged state of PTFE on DEG was found to differ with the expansion and contraction of the droplets.