Wind Bell-Inspired Polymeric Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Efficient Omnidirectional Wind Energy Harvesting at Extremely Low Wind Speeds

Wind energy, an abundant renewable resource, remains difficult to harness efficiently due to fluctuating speeds and unpredictable directions. In this work, we present a wind bell-inspired triboelectric nanogenerator (WB-TENG) designed for omnidirectional, variable-speed wind harvesting, utilizing layered triboelectric polymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyamide (PA) to enhance energy capture performance. The developed device demonstrates the ability to generate electrical output even under extremely low wind speeds as low as 0.5 m/s. Additionally, it successfully captures wind energy from all directions within a full 360° range. Through structural optimization, the WB-TENG achieves a peak output voltage of 25.1 V and a maximum power of 3.5 μW, representing substantial improvements of 170% and 1232%, respectively, over the performance of our previous prototype. To verify its practical capability, the optimized WB-TENG is employed to power several electronic devices, including a digital watch and 50 commercial LEDs, confirming its potential for real-world energy harvesting applications. This work presents a novel and effective strategy for harnessing wind energy under dynamic environmental conditions, offering a sustainable approach for decentralized energy collection in low-speed and omnidirectional wind settings.