An Easily Assembled Electromagnetic-Triboelectric Hybrid Nanogenerator Driven by Magnetic Coupling for Fluid Energy Harvesting and Self-Powered Flow Monitoring in a Smart Home/City

Harvesting wind energy and water flow energy from the living environment to efficiently and conveniently power many small electric devices at home is becoming increasingly important for the development of the smart home system. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are considered to be one of the most effective devices to harness various types of mechanical energy. Here, an easily assembled electromagnetic-triboelectric hybrid nanogenerator (EANG) driven by magnetic coupling is reported. The introduction of magnetic coupling makes it easy to package, maintain, and assemble a nanogenerator (NG), so its performance is very stable regardless of environmental variations. A sliding freestanding mode TENG and a rotary electromagnetic generator (EMG) are integrated to improve their output and broaden the frequency range of external energy. It is shown that the EANG can be conveniently integrated with a wind cup or water turbine and harvest fluid energy to power small electronic devices, such as a humidity sensor and temperature sensor. Moreover, a NG can be used as a self-powered flow sensor to monitor the flow rate of outdoor wind and tap water. These results can be used to help solve practical problems regarding energy supplying and sensing in a smart home, smart building, and smart city.