Power Management of Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Self-Powered Electronics Applications

In the era of the internet of things, wearable electronic technology can help citizens to avail advanced features and characteristics in different facets of their daily life. These wearable electronics are powered by current energy storage devices that need regular recharging, but the increasing demand for continuous operation is driving research into new power supplies that can deliver stable electricity. One major development has been a conceptual shift away from grid supply charging toward self-powering, in which the devices continuously operate without external power feeding. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are emerging as a power supply for self-powered electronics due to their light weight, simple fabrication, diversity in material selection, and high energy conversion efficiency, but the power output of TENGs needs to be trimmed to power the electronics stably. There is a need for flexible power management for self-powered electronic applications, particularly for wearable devices. In this talk, I will address several strategies for power management of TENGs to achieve high-performing self-powered electronics, including voltage trimming, humidity insensitivity, and durability control.