Search Results (3)

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are devices that efficiently transform mechanical energy into electrical energy by utilizing the triboelectric effect and electrostatic induction. Embroidery triboelectric nanogenerators (ETENGs) offer a distinct prospect to incorporate energy harvesting capabilities into textile-based products. This research work introduces an embroidered triboelectric nanogenerator that is made using polyester and nylon 66 yarn. The ETENG is developed by using different embroidery parameters and its characteristics are obtained using a specialized tapping and friction device. Nine ETENGs were made, each with different stitch lengths and line spacings for the polyester yarn. Friction and tapping tests were performed to assess the electrical outputs, which included measurements of short circuit current, open circuit voltage, and capacitor charging. One sample wearable embroidered energy harvester collected 307.5 μJ (24.8 V) of energy under a 1.5 Hz sliding motion over 300 s and 72 μJ (12 V) of energy through human walking over 120 s. Another ETENG sample generated 4.5 μJ (3 V) into a 1 μF capacitor using a tapping device with a 2 Hz frequency and a 50 mm separation distance over a duration of 520 s. Measurement of the current was also performed at different pressures to check the effect of pressure and validate the different options of the triboelectric/electrostatic characterization device. In summary, this research explains the influence of embroidery parameters on the performance of ETENG (Embroidery Triboelectric Nanogenerator) and provides valuable information for energy harvesting applications. Full article

The “Embroidery Triboelectric Nanogenerator” (E-TENG) is a wearable device that extracts energy from human motion by making use of the triboelectric phenomena, in addition to conductive fabric along with embroidery threads. One of the greatest ways to transform ambient vibrational energy from the human body is to use a wearable triboelectric energy harvester. In this study, different E-TENGs were developed using conductive fabric as an electrode and two different triboelectric yarns, 100% Polyester (electron donor) and Nylon 6,6 (electron receiver). To investigate the electrical outputs and energy-collecting potential of the ETENG, different stitch length and line spacing of embroidery TENG were investigated by testing samples in a specially manufactured tapping and sliding devices. The optimized wearable embroidery energy harvester effectively captured 72 μJ (12 V) of human motion energy in a 1 μF capacitor in 120 s and 307.5 μJ (24.8 V) of energy in a 1 μF capacitor by 1.5 Hz sliding motion in 300 s from an ETFS3.1 sample. A maximum of 4.5 μJ (3 V) was collected in a 1 μF capacitor from ETFS2.3 using a tapping machine for 520 s at a 2 Hz tapping motion and a 50 mm separation distance. The effects of the stitch length and line spacing in the embroidered structure on the electrical output performance of the embroidery energy-harvesting TENG were investigated. Full article

In this work, we introduced an embroidery-based stretchable (up to 60–70%) triboelectric nano-generator that could be attached to different parts of the human body such as fingers, knee, elbow, back, or shoulders, to sense the body movement. It can be used as activity recognition for health care and sport activity monitoring. The sensor was composed of different yarns embroidered on a stretchable conductive substrate, allowing it to sense diverse mechanical deformation of different body parts. Different stitching styles, patterns, stitch lengths, and shapes have been selected to cater to the unidirectional, bidirectional, and multidirectional force and obtain the maximum movement flexibility. In order to do embroidery on a stretchable substrate, a non-stretchable water-soluble second substrate has been added before embroidering, and is afterwards removed by application of steam. A sample of 1.5 × 6 cm² was used for sensing finger movement and generated a peak to peak voltage of 274.5 mV. The amount of generated voltage depended upon the application area on the body and its deformation, thread type, stitch type, stitch length, and shape of embroidery. A stitch length of more than 2 mm with a line density of 1 line per mm resulted in a stretchable sample. The state of the art of the developed sensors is their low price, flexibility, and low weight. They are all obtained with commercially available embroidery yarns and commercially available technology for their development. Full article