Self-Recovering Triboelectric Nanogenerator as Active Multifunctional Sensors

A novel self-recovering triboelectric nanogenerator (STENG) driven by airflow is designed as active multifunctional sensors. A spring is assembled into the STENG and enables the nanogenerator to have self-recovering characteristic. The maximum output voltage and current of the STENG is about 251 V and 56 mu A, respectively, corresponding to an output power of 3.1 mW. The STENG can act as an active multifunctional sensors that includes a humidity sensor, airflow rate sensor, and motion sensor. The STENG-based humidity sensor has a wide detection range of 20%-100%, rapid response time of 18 ms, and recovery time of 80 ms. Besides, the STENG could be utilized in the application of security monitoring. This work expands practical applications of triboelectric nanogenerators as active sensors with advantages of simple fabrication and low cost.