Advancements and Challenges in Triboelectric Nanogenerator Technology for Ocean Wave Energy Harvesting

Ocean waves are an extensive and promising renewable energy source within marine environments. They can potentially energize self-powered systems crucial for ocean exploration and monitoring purposes. However, the low frequency and multi-directional motion of the ocean waves pose a challenge to effective utilization of their energy. Yet, after thoroughly examining and understanding different wave energy harvesting techniques, it has become evident that employing a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) to harvest energy from low-frequency and multiple-direction movement is one of the most effective approaches. Therefore, optimizing TENGs for enhanced power output, cost-effective fabrication, and durability under real-life ocean conditions is imperative. This paper comprehensively overviews TENGs and their application in blue energy harvesting. It starts by explaining the basic principles behind TENGs. The discussion extends to various TENG configurations, including liquid-solid and solid-solid contacting models, pointing out their strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, the paper examines different approaches to integrating an effective power management system for optimizing energy extraction from TENGs, focusing on economic benefits. Considering these challenges and design advancements, our review suggests several promising directions for advancing this technology in real-world applications and mar-itime environments, given their simplicity and cost-effectiveness.