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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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THE SCHOOL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Under the provisions of the regulations for the degree
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
on Thursday, April 25, 2019
12:00 PM
in IPST/RBI 114
will be held the
DISSERTATION DEFENSE
for
Changsheng Wu
"High Performance Triboelectric Nanogenerator and Its Applications"
Committee Members:
Prof. Zhong Lin Wang, Advisor, MSE
Prof. Meilin Liu, MSE
Prof. David L. McDowell , MSE
Prof. C. P. Wong, MSE
Prof. Younan Xia, BME
Abstract:
As the world is marching into the era of the internet of things (IoTs) and artificial intelligence, the most vital development for hardware is a multifunctional array of sensing systems, which forms the foundation of the fourth industrial revolution toward an intelligent world. Given the need for mobility of these multitudes of sensors, the success of the IoTs calls for distributed energy sources, which can be provided by solar, thermal, wind, and mechanical triggering/vibrations. The triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) for mechanical energy harvesting developed by Z.L. Wang's group is one of the best choices for this energy for the new era, since triboelectrification is a universal and ubiquitous effect with an abundant choice of materials. The development of self-powered active sensors enabled by TENGs is revolutionary compared to externally powered passive sensors, similar to the advance from wired to wireless communication.
In this work, fundamental performance-limiting factors of TENG were studied and various strategies, such as the optimization of materials, structures and operation environment, were investigated to enhance its electrical outputs. Furthermore, the application of TENG in three major fields, including micro/nano power sources, self-powered sensors, and direct high-voltage power sources, was explored. Self-powered electrically-assisted transdermal drug delivery driven by biomechanical motions was demonstrated for non-invasive, on-demand drug administration with feedback control. Self-powered wireless optical transmission of mechanical agitation signals was proposed to solve the issue of power supply for optical wireless communications. Smart keyboard with active pressure sensing was developed for keystroke dynamics-based cyber security. The high voltage of TENG was successfully applied to drive field emission of electrons and electrohydrodynamic jet printing, with unique merits of low cost, enhanced safety and portability. With solid understanding of both the fundamentals and applications, a roadmap is proposed for the research and commercialization of TENG in the next 10 years. This work not only provides insights and solutions for developing high performance TENG, but also broadens its application in a variety of multidisciplinary fields that have huge impact on people’s daily life in the era of internet of things.
