Drone rotational triboelectric nanogenerator for supplemental power generation and RPM sensing

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review

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Detail(s)

Original languageEnglish
Article number110614
Journal / PublicationNano Energy
Volume135
Online published21 Dec 2024
Publication statusOnline published - 21 Dec 2024

Abstract

The global drone market is a multibillion-dollar industry that is experiencing rapid growth. While drones are commonly used for aerial photography, videography, surveying, search and rescue operations, most consumer and enterprise drones have limited onboard electronics other than what is required for basic flight operation. Such limitation is due to payload constraints, where more onboard electronics would require a larger battery pack, which increases the total payload and leads to higher energy consumption. To overcome this, a drone rotational triboelectric nanogenerator is developed comprising four units connected to the propellers’ motors of a quadcopter drone to capture and recycle the kinetic energy of the motors’ rotational energy for use as a supplemental power supply for onboard electronics. In this work, we report a drone rotational triboelectric nanogenerator that achieves a high surface power density of 3.24 W/m2, charges capacitors, and operates as a self-powered RPM sensor. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd.

Research Area(s)

  • Drone energy harvesting, Triboelectric nanogenerator, Kinetic energy recycling, Rotational harvester, RPM sensor