Enhancement of Aluminum Polytetrafluoroethylene Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for High Temperature Environment

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are self-powered devices that experience low open circuit voltages at high temperatures. This paper is intended to enhance the output voltages of a TENG in a high-temperature environment. Here, we have incorporated aluminum as electrodes and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as a freestanding layer into the framework of TENG. The proposed arrangement is analyzed both numerically and experimentally. Both results indicate that the TENG displayed its highest output voltages at room temperature and consequently reduced its voltages as temperature increased. However, placement of the two friction layers of a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) at different temperatures results in improved output voltages that closely approximate those at ambient temperature. Although the present measured power is modest, it can be efficiently improved by implementing a booster circuit. The obtained data may explore the use of TENG in a vibrating source environment with a temperature difference.