Seismic performance of isolation system of rolling friction with springs

In order to study an isolation system of rolling friction with springs, computer programs were compiled to evaluate the seismic performance based on its movement characteristics. Through the programs, the influences of various seismic performance factors, e.g., rolling friction coefficient, spring constant, were systematically investigated. Results show that by increasing the rolling friction coefficient, the structural relative displacement due to seismic load effectively decreases, while the structural response magnitude varies mainly depending on the correlations between the following factors: the spring constant, the earthquake intensity, and the rolling friction coefficient. Furthermore, increasing the spring constant can decrease the structural relative displacement, as well as residual displacement, however, it increases the structural response magnitude. Finally, based on the analyses of various seismic performance factors subjected to the scenario earthquakes, optimized theoretical seismic performance can be achieved by reasonably combining the spring constant and the rolling friction coefficient.

Double-induced-mode integrated triboelectric nanogenerator based on spring steel to maximize space utilization

Integrated multilayered triboelectric nanogenerators （TENGs） are an efficient approach to solve the insufficient energy problem caused by a single-layered TENG for achieving high output power density. However, most integrated multilayered TENGs have a relatively large volume. Here, a double-induced-mode integrated triboelectric nanogenerator （DI-TENG） based on spring steel plates is presented as a cost-effective, simple, and high-performance device for ambient vibration energy harvesting. The unique stackable rhombus structure, in which spring steel plates act both as skeletons and as electrodes, can enhance the output performance and maximize space utilization. The DI-TENG with five repeated units in a volume of 12 cm × 5 cm × 0.4 cm can generate a short-circuit current of 51 μA and can transfer charges of 1.25 μC in a half period. The contrast experiment is conducted systematically and the results have proved that the DI-TENG has a great advantage over the single-induced-mode TENG （SI-TENG） with only one side of a friction layer on its electrode. Besides, the DI-TENG can easily power a commercial calculator and can be used as a door switch sensor.