Triboelectric Nanogenerator: A Hope to Collect Blue Energy

Water wave energy has the advantages of high energy density and wide distribution. There is tremendous energy in the waves of the earth. Nowadays, wave energy is mainly collected by electromagnetic generators. It needs a stable and high working frequency to obtain efficient output, and electromagnetic generators collect energy in a single direction, which greatly restricts its practical application value. In contrast, the Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) can work in a wide frequency range. For low frequency fluctuations, the output efficiency of the TENG is much higher than that of the electromagnetic generator, and it can stabilize the output power under the condition of slow flow and random direction wave current. It is very suitable for collecting blue energy. This paper reviews the progress of TENG in collecting blue energy in recent years. Firstly, starting from the working principle of TENG. Then, several basic TENG structures for collecting blue energy are summarized, and the application of hybrid nanogenerators in collecting blue energy is briefly mentioned. Finally, the prospects and challenges of TENG technology in developing blue energy in the future are briefly discussed.