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To achieve large-scale development of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) for water wave energy harvesting and powering the colossal sensors widely distributed in the ocean, facile and scalable TENGs with high output are urgently required. Here, an elastic self-recovering hybrid nanogenerator (ES-HNG) is proposed for water wave energy harvesting and marine environmental monitoring. The elastic skeletal support of the ES-HNG is manufactured using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, which is more conducive to the large-scale integration of the ES-HNG. Moreover, the combination of a TENG and an electromagnetic generator (EMG) optimizes the utilization of device space, leading to enhanced energy harvesting efficiency. Experimental results demonstrate that the TENG achieves a peak power output of 42.68 mW, and the EMG reaches a peak power output of 4.40 mW. Furthermore, various marine environment monitoring sensors, such as a self-powered wireless meteorological monitoring system, a wireless alarm system, and a water quality monitoring pen, have been successfully powered by the sophisticated ES-HNG. This work introduces an ES-HNG for water wave energy harvesting, which demonstrates potential in marine environment monitoring and offers a new solution for the sustainable development of the marine internet of things. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Escalating global climate change and the intensification of urban heatwaves have led to an increase in summer air conditioning cooling energy consumption. This phenomenon is particularly critical in tropical regions, as it may trigger an energy crisis. The rational setting of indoor thermal design parameters can help conserve energy to the maximum extent while ensuring thermal comfort for occupants. This study selected Haikou City, a unique tropical city in China, as the research location. Indoor environment measurements and a questionnaire survey were conducted with participants, and the outdoor thermal environment sensitivity, population attributes and differences in thermal sensation, thermal neutral temperature, and comfort range were calculated and analyzed. The following results were obtained. Based on the overall population, long-term residence, and temporary residence classification, the indoor thermal comfort needs of residents in tropical cities in Haikou were effectively identified. The actual thermal neutral temperature of the overall population is 25.7 °C, and 90% of the acceptable thermal comfort temperature range is 23.2 °C–28.0 °C. The actual thermal neutral temperature of the regular residents is 27.3 °C, and 90% of the acceptable thermal comfort temperature range is 23.3 °C–31.4 °C. The actual thermal neutral temperature of the temporary population is 25.5 °C, and 90% of the acceptable thermal comfort temperature range is 23.0 °C–28.0 °C. These research results have an important reference value for improving the setting of the temperature of air conditioning in tropical areas in summer and further reducing energy consumption, which is conducive to sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state-of-the-art triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) technology has numerous advantages and creates new prospects for the rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT) in marine environments. Here, to accelerate the application process of TENG, an elaborately designed multilayered sleeve-structured hybrid nanogenerator (M-HNG) is developed to efficiently and persistently harvest marine energy. The M-HNG integrates an electromagnetic nanogenerator (EMG) with four coils and a multilayered sleeve-structured TENG (MS-TENG) with three freestanding layer units to increase spatial utilization efficiency. Moreover, rabbit fur strips are introduced to enhance the output performance and strengthen the durability of TENG. Therefore, the MS-TENG has high durability due to its soft-contact structure, maintaining its performance even after 240,000 cycles. When a 1000 μF capacitor is charged by M-HNG utilizing a power management circuit (PMC), the stored energy is increased from 2.62 mJ to 140.11 mJ, representing a significant improvement of 52-fold. The M-HNG triggered by water waves has successfully powered various small electronic devices, including 1200 LED lights, nine thermo-hygrometers, a water quality testing pen, and water level alarms. The proposed M-HNG effectively harvests low-frequency water wave energy, introducing an innovative concept for constructing a hybrid TENG with enhanced density and durability.

Hybrid nanogenerators (HNGs) represent a promising avenue for water energy harvesting, yet their commercial viability faces hurdles such as limited power output, poor coupling, and constrained operational lifespans. Here, a highly coupled triboelectric-electromagnetic magnetic-levitation hybrid nanogenerator (ML-HNG) is introduced that shows great potential for water energy harvesting. The ML-HNG fulfills the challenges of high power output, strong coupling, and long operational lifespans. During the contact-separation process of the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), the changing magnetic flux in the electromagnetic generator's coils generates a potential difference between the coils and Cu electrodes. The unique design of the ML-HNG employs a shared coil electrode configuration, which enhances the coupling without adding extra volume. This integration allows the ML-HNG to achieve multi-frequency vibrations and multiple output cycles per external longitudinal movement, a phenomenon known as the frequency multiplication effect. With an average power density of 1.69 W m -3 in water, the ML-HNG provides continuous power for a thermo-hygrometer and can quickly drive a wireless water level alarm system within a minute. This groundbreaking hybrid nanogenerator design holds significant promise for the efficient and consistent harvesting of low-frequency ocean wave energy, marking a substantial advancement in blue energy technology., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)