Project Description
A testing rig designed to measure the triboelectric effect in two basic modes: contact-separation and lateral-sliding. The rig allows for adjustment of the height and position of electrodes, ensuring accurate and consistent motion. This design makes it convenient and simple to take measurements across various triboelectric combinations. The work was further explored in my bachelor’s thesis work - Triboelectric Nanogenerators.
Triboelectric nanogenerators are a nonconventional source of electricity. The device converts the external mechanical energy into electricity by a conjunction of the triboelectric effect and electrostatic induction. Different materials will develop a triboelectric effect of different intensities when put into contact, making some material combinations more suitable and others less so. In addition to the materials chosen, the efficiency of TENG will depend on other variables, such as the force applied to the electrodes, the frequency of excitation, and how the electrodes come into contact.
Process
- Defining problem
- Budget constraints
- Sourcing components
- Conceptualization
- Designing the rig
Result
- As the device would have exceeded the constraints of my thesis work, it was never built. A CETR-UMT-2 tribometer was used to take measurements, which only allowed for lateral sliding motion.
