A flexible nanogenerator with increased power density could one day compete with the performance of solar modules

Thanks to a new nanotechnology developed at the University of Surrey, your morning jog could soon help generate enough electricity to power your portable devices.

The Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) in Surrey has developed highly energy-efficient, flexible nanogenerators that have 140 times the power density of conventional nanogenerators. ATI researchers believe this development could pave the way for nanodevices that are as efficient as today’s solar cells.

The results are published in the journal Nanoenergy.

Surrey’s devices can convert small amounts of mechanical energy from everyday life, such as movement, into significantly more electrical energy, similar to how an amplifier in an electronic system amplifies sound. For example, if a conventional nanogenerator produces 10 milliwatts of power, this new technology could increase that power to over 1,000 milliwatts, making it suitable for energy harvesting in a variety of everyday applications.

ATI’s nanogenerator works like a relay team – instead of an electrode (the runner), it transfers the energy (charge) alone. Each runner collects a rod (charge), adds more, and then passes all the rods to the next runner. This increases the total energy collected in a process called the charge regeneration effect.

Lead author of the study from the University of Surrey, Md Delowar Hussain, said: “The dream of nanogenerators is to capture and harness energy from everyday movements such as your morning jog, mechanical vibrations, ocean waves or opening a door.

“The key innovation in our nanogenerator is that we have optimized the technology with 34 tiny energy harvesters using a laser technique that can be scaled up for large-scale production to further increase energy efficiency.

“The really exciting thing is that our little device, with its high energy density, could one day rival the performance of solar panels and could be used to power everything from self-powered sensors to smart home systems that run without ever having to change a battery.”

The device is a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) – a device that can capture the energy of simple, everyday movements and convert it into electricity. It works with materials that become electrically charged when they come into contact and then separate – similar to when you rub a balloon against your hair and it sticks to it due to static electricity.

Dr Bhaskar Dudem, co-author of the study from the University of Surrey, said: “We will soon launch a company focused on self-powered, non-invasive health sensors using triboelectric technology. Innovations like this will enable us to drive new spin-out activities in sustainable health technology, improve sensitivity and emphasise industrial scalability.”

Professor Ravi Silva, co-author of the study and director of the Advanced Technology Institute at the University of Surrey, said: “With the ever-advancing technology around us, it is predicted that in the next few years we will have over 50 billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices that require energy to power them.”

“Local green energy solutions are needed, and this could be a practical wireless technology that uses energy from any mechanical movement to power small devices. It offers the scientific and engineering community the opportunity to find innovative and sustainable solutions to global challenges.”

“We are incredibly excited about the potential of these nanogenerators to change the way we think about energy. One could also imagine these devices being used in IoT-based, self-powered intelligent systems such as autonomous wireless surgery, security monitoring and smart home systems, or even to support dementia patients, an area in which the University of Surrey has great expertise.”