Self-powered wind detection and positioning system for hot air balloon based on multi-module triboelectric nanogenerator

Wind conditions are vital for hot air balloon operation in high-altitude, and position tracking is important in rescue work. However, traditional wind speed anemometers and positioning devices all rely on external power supplies such as lithium batteries, while the wind energy surrounding hot air balloon environment is usually neglected. Herein, we propose a self-powered positioning system for hot air balloon based on a multi-module triboelectric nanogenerator (MM-TENG), which has two TENGs, i.e., double-layer cylindrical soft contact triboelectric nanogenerator (DLCSC-TENG) and disc-shaped triboelectric nanogenerator (DS-TENG). DLCSC-TENG is used to harvest wind energy in high-altitude environment and power a global positioning system (GPS) module to locate hot air balloon in motion every 15 s, which can provide accurate positioning, helping the rescue team to rescue in time and reducing casualties in the event of accidents. As a wind sensor system, DS-TENG can detect environmental wind speed ranging from 0 to 6.0 m/s and eight regular directions can be monitored through output voltage waveforms. Therefore, MM-TENG proposed in this study is expected to play a significant role in the field of intelligent high-altitude technology in the future.