High-performance triboelectric nanogenerator based on a rotating-switch structure for efficient wind energy harvesting

Harnessing wind energy, especially in environments with low wind speeds, has long been a challenge for traditional technologies like electromagnetic generators, which often struggle with efficiency and are costly to maintain. A team of materials scientists led by Professor Ding Nan from Inner Mongolia University has recently proposed a RS-TENG, offering a novel approach to address this issue. Designed to significantly improve the performance of TENGs, the RS-TENG uses mechanical triggering switches to enhance the instantaneous current pulses during rotational motion, greatly increasing power density. This innovative design addresses key issues of low current output, especially in low-wind-speed conditions, enabling power delivery to small, energy-efficient electronic devices in remote areas.

The team published their review in Energy Materials and Devices on June 24, 2025.

The RS-TENG operates at a constant rotational speed, generating an instantaneous current 3.2 times higher than that of the non-switching TENG. Additionally, its response time is reduced by 89%, thereby ensuring significantly improved efficiency. At a wind speed of 2 m/s, it generates a power density of 10.4 mW·m^-2·m^-1·s. The device's structure and functionality are optimized through innovative design, including wind cups and integrated materials. The unique setup results in a significant increase in both short-circuit current and transferred charge, enhancing its overall efficiency. Additionally, the RS-TENG has demonstrated the capability to power up to 413 commercial LEDs directly, further highlighting its potential in practical applications. The RS-TENG has shown significant potential for harnessing wind energy, even at low wind speeds of 4 m/s, and can efficiently power systems like digital thermometers and wireless transmitters. This research opens new avenues for enhancing power density at low wind speeds and represents a critical step towards improving the viability and sustainability of wind energy as a primary renewable resource.

Other contributors include Juan Pan, Wuliang Sun, Ying Zhan, Xiaoxia Lv, Xin Li, Yaxin Huang, Ding Nan from the College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China; and Baodong Chen from the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 62431006), the Inner Mongolia Major Science and Technology Project (Grant No. 2020ZD0024), Local Science and Technology Development Project of the Central Government (Grant No. 2021ZY0006, 2022ZY0011), Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia (Grant No.2024LHMS05046) and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region key Research and Technological Achievements Transformation Plan Project (Grant No. 2023YFHH0063).

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Energy Materials and Devices is launched by Tsinghua University, published quarterly by Tsinghua University Press, exclusively available via SciOpen, aiming at being an international, single-blind peer-reviewed, open-access and interdisciplinary journal in the cutting-edge field of energy materials and devices. It focuses on the innovation research of the whole chain of basic research, technological innovation, achievement transformation and industrialization in the field of energy materials and devices, and publishes original, leading and forward-looking research results, including but not limited to the materials design, synthesis, integration, assembly and characterization of devices for energy storage and conversion etc.