Human Energy Harvesting – A Flexible Bionic Composite MTEG-TENG Based on the Shared Substrate with Characteristic Doping

Abstract

Traditional wearable devices for underwater exploration face significant energy supply challenges, impacting mission efficiency and safety. To address this, the study introduces an innovative composite energy harvesting method that integrates a flexible micro thermoelectric generator and a triboelectric nanogenerator (MTEG-TENG) within a shared substrate architecture. This study also develops a theoretical model of energy harvesting based on human thermal and kinetic energy. A prototype is created, featuring a flexible bionic seagrass-like TENG (BS-TENG) and a flexible bionic leaf-like MTEG (BL-MTEG), integrated with an energy management unit. A method for preparing Bi₂Te₃-based thermoelectric materials through characteristic doping is proposed, enhancing the thermoelectric conversion performance. Through the implementation of an innovative thermal interface optimization scheme, the BL-MTEG unit achieves a 30% increase in output performance. In the experimental setup involving a temperature gradient of 20k, swing angular speed of 0.5π rad s⁻¹, and a swing angle of 60°, the prototype successfully powers 51 LEDs and enables the information transmission of the Bluetooth module after processing through the energy harvesting circuit. This performance not only validates the effectiveness of the thermal interface design strategy but also provides a new approach for developing self-powered technology for underwater wearable devices.