Technical Description of the Tribo-EKO-e System for Energy Recovery from Electrostatic Charge

The Tribo-EKO-e system is an innovative solution designed to capture and utilize electrostatic charge generated during the pneumatic transport of polymer granules (e.g., polypropylene) through conductive pipelines. The system leverages the triboelectric effect, where friction between granules and the pipe walls generates a charge. This charge is collected, stored in capacitors, and transformed into usable electrical energy with a potential of 5,000–10,000 V. The system features a segmented pipeline with dielectric isolation rings, entry grounding for enhanced electron flow, and centralized energy storage using high-capacity supercapacitors or batteries. With energy losses reduced to less than 20% and an average energy yield of 129.6 J per transport cycle, the Tribo-EKO-e system offers significant ecological, economic, and safety benefits. The implementation of this system provides a sustainable method to reduce reliance on external energy sources, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and eliminate electrostatic discharge risks in industries such as plastics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and more. This work provides a detailed technical description of the system's design, components, and advantages, with an emphasis on industrial applications and energy efficiency.