A real-time quantitative acceleration monitoring method based on triboelectric nanogenerator for bridge cable vibration

• Published in: Nano energy 2023-12, Vol.118, p.108960, Article 108960
• Main Authors: Huang, Kangxu, Zhou, Yuhui, Zhang, Zhicheng, Zhang, He, Lü, Chaofeng, Luo, Jikui, Shen, Libin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acceleration monitoring of civil infrastructures; Real-time quantitative sensing; Self-driven sensor; Triboelectric nanogenerator; Ultra-lightweight
• ISSN: 2211-2855
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2023.108960

Real-time monitoring of vibration acceleration of civil infrastructure is imperative for effective management and safe operation of structures. Although the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) shows potential for self-powered sensing, it faces challenges in correlating limited experimental electrical amplitudes to structural responses, thereby hindering comprehensive performance analysis of civil infrastructure. Herein, a self-driven acceleration TENG sensor (A-TENG) is designed and manufactured, comprising an outer shell and an inner mass-spring-damper system. By establishing a sensing model based on vibration theory and the TENG mechanism, the electrical signals generated by the sensors can be correlated with structural acceleration, enabling self-driven real-time quantitative characterization. Indoor and on-site experiments demonstrate that the A-TENG sensor is capable of continuously monitoring the acceleration profile with excellent consistency compared to commercial sensors. The non-contact free-standing sliding mode design and ultra-lightweight construction of the A-TENG sensor (∼8 g) enhance its start-up sensitivity (∼0.1 m/s2), long-term stability (∼30,000 loading cycles) while minimizing mass interference. The proposed sensing theory renders a novel approach to offering complete time-domain information, which is vital for the precise analysis of structural behavior. This work facilitates understanding of self-driven sensors utilizing TENG technology and provides a useful tool for long-term real-time quantitative structural health monitoring. [Display omitted] •A sensing theory was established to achieve self-driven real-time quantitative measurement of bridge acceleration.•The ultra-lightweight design of the A-TENG sensor (∼8 g) contributes to improving the reliability of measurement results.•The A-TENG sensor realizes its practical application for the first time in a self-driven structural monitoring system.