A self-sensing friction damper with energy dissipation and sensing characteristics

Abstract

Friction dampers dissipate seismic energy through sliding but lack self-sensing capability. This study integrates friction dampers with triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), which convert mechanical energy into electrical signals, creating a self-sensing damper. Using friction pairs with large triboelectric differences, the system simultaneously achieves energy dissipation and sensing. During sliding, mechanical energy is partially converted into heat (dissipation) and electricity (sensing). Theoretical models link displacement and velocity to voltage and current, validated through cyclic loading tests varying velocity, displacement, and friction force. Results show stable energy dissipation (300-770 J/cycle) comparable to conventional dampers. Sensing performance is strong: voltage correlates linearly with displacement (0.00526 V/mm, R²= 0.94), and current with velocity (0.01914 μA/(mm/s), R²> 0.99). Unlike conventional TENGs, high friction alters triboelectric behavior via wear and heating, producing a unique voltage-velocity relationship. Scanning electron microscopy analysis confirms maximum wear at 34.2 kN, aligning with inflection points in electrical response. An empirical Q-V-f formula for high-friction conditions enriches triboelectric theory and guides damper design, emphasizing friction optimization for balanced dissipation and sensing stability.

Keywords

Friction dampers / self-sensing / triboelectric nanogenerator / energy dissipation / sensing performance

Acknowledgements

The authors confirm that Doubao was used to assist in the preparation of this paper. The specific usage scenario includes: language polishing, grammar checking, and adjusting expressions to better conform to English writing conventions. The authors have reviewed and take full responsibility for all content of the final manuscript.

Authors contribution

Ma N: Writing-original draft, funding acquisition, supervision, conceptualization. Ming H: Investigation, formal analysis, validation. Zhang S: Investigation, data curation, validation, methodology. Zhou L, Zhang C: Visualization, conceptualization. Dong X: Writing-review & editing, supervision, resources, funding acquisition, project administration.

Conflicts of interest

Ning Ma is a Youth Editorial Board Member of Smart Materials and Devices. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

Not applicable.

Consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Availability of data and materials

Data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Funding

This research was funded by Dalian Science and Technology Innovation Program (Grant No. 2024JJ12CG032), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52178459), and Beijing Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. L247020).

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