The triboelectric generator (TEG) is a strong candidate for low-power sensors utilized in the Internet of Things (IoT) technology. Within IoT technologies, advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) technology is included within autonomous driving technology. Development of an energy source for sensors necessary for operation becomes an important issue, since a lot of sensors are embedded in vehicles and require more electrical energy. Although saving energy and enhancing energy efficiency is one of the most important issues, the application approach to harvesting wasted energy without compromising the reliability of existing mechanical systems is still in very early stages. Here, we report of a new type of TEG, a suspension-type free-standing mode TEG (STEG) inspired from a shock absorber in a suspension system. We discovered that the optimum width of electrode output voltage was 131.9 V and current was 0.060 µA/cm² in root mean square (RMS) value while the optimized output power was 4.90 μW/cm² at 66 MΩ. In addition, output power was found to be proportional to frictional force due to the contact area between two frictional surfaces. It was found that the STEG was made of perfluoroalkoxy film and showed good mechanical durability with no degradation of output performance after sliding 11,000 times. In addition, we successfully demonstrated charging a capacitor of 330 μF in 6 min.
Keywords: IoT technology; advanced driver assistance technology; frictional force; shock absorber; suspension system; triboelectric generator.