A Multifunctional Triboelectric Nanogenerator Based on Conveyor Belt Structure for High-Precision Vortex Detection

Vortex is one of the most common natural phenomena. However, its monitoring and measurement has always been difficult in both research and water conservancy projects. A multifunctional device is designed to detect the vortex based on the capability of a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), utilizing the relative motion principle of a conveyor transmission structure that is driven by the relative motion of upper and lower parts to generate electrical signals. The TENG based on a conveyor belt structure (CB-TENG) having three electrodes can monitor the vortex in real time and measure the rotating speed of the vortex. The output time domain of different electrodes corresponds to different rotation directions; therefore, the vortex direction can be determined according to electrical signal characteristics. Additionally, the wheel speed sensor (accuracy up to 98.11%) and wind speed sensor based on CB-TENG are fabricated and tested, which proves the feasibility and high efficiency of the scheme and demonstrates the wide application of CB-TENG.