Summary An efficient energy-management strategy is critical for the energy utilization of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), of which the switch and convertor are two key parts. However, common switches only withstand… Click to show full abstract
Summary An efficient energy-management strategy is critical for the energy utilization of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), of which the switch and convertor are two key parts. However, common switches only withstand limited voltage (∼102 V), while the convertors for electrostatic energy are diversely designed without standard principles. Here, we report a simple, tunable auto-spark switch to achieve energy accumulation and fast release and develop a standard design procedure of matched transformer for electrostatic energy conversion. We establish an ultrahigh voltage (over 7.5 kV) energy-management system for TENG. Ultrahigh output charge of 660 μ C per cycle, pulsed power density of 11.13 kW m−2, and constant power density of 291 mW m−2 at 3 Hz are all achieved. With this energy-management unit, TENGs can continuously power a wireless sensors network at 1 Hz. This energy-management approach enables TENGs to present a breakthrough in practical applications.
               
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