Geradores triboelétricos de baixo custo para a captação de energia a partir de pavimentos urbanos

Abstract

The conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy from triboelectric phenomena has being actively searched due to growing demand for energy worldwide and proof of concept and applications are being made by using nanostructured triboelectric generators. However, such devices are produced using expensive materials and costly techniques, which restricts large-scale productions. In this work, three 6 x 6 cm prototypes were built with PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), nylon (polyamide), Kapton (polyimide) and BOPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene), both low cost materials, in order to use them in the energy harvest from urban paviments. The prototypes were built in sandwich format and one of their faces was covered with copper, in order to the opposite charges to those generated on surfaces after triboelectrization were induced in the metal and therefore to induce a flow of current to an external source. The first one was built using PTFE and nylon, getting an output voltage close to 120 V. The second tribogenerator was built using PTFE and Kapton and the voltages obtained are close to 171,60 V. The last tribogenerator was built using one face of BOPP virgin and another chemically modified with KMnO4 and H2SO4. The voltages obtained were close to 163,70 V. Surface characterizations measurement were made too, like contact angle, surface energy and electric characterization using the Kelvin method.The prototypes were able to, in some seconds, store enough energy to light up many LEDs. The results obtained in this work demonstrate that the tribogenerators developed could be applied in the energy harvesting from urban pavements to application in devices that demand low energy density, such as LED panels.