Tube-based triboelectric nanogenerator for self-powered detecting blockage and monitoring air pressure

A pipe blockage and pressure abnormity is extremely serious in industry, while the related intelligent sensors are essential for ensuring safety in production. Here, we declare a self-powered sensor for detecting blockage and monitoring air pressure, which is based on a tube-based triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). When the water flows through electrodes, the device can deliver 40 V in open-circuit voltage and 0.4 mu A in short-circuit current at the flow rate of 0.2 L/min, respectively. By installing a linear electrode array along the PTFE tube, the sensor can detect not only the water flow rate and location, but also the blockage in pipelines. Moreover, an air pressure monitor has been demonstrated by attaching a single long electrode, which can achieve a real-time surveillance of air pressure changes. Due to the cost-effectiveness and subtle-construction, our work can be potentially applied in various fluid dynamic monitoring, pipeline maintenance as well as safety engineering, especially in chemical engineering, oil transport, and other fields.