Were now making strides towards harnessing the oceans unrelenting movements for energy, thanks to developments in “blue energy” technology. In a study published in ACS Energy Letters, scientists discovered that by moving the electrode from the middle to the end of a liquid-filled tube– where the waters impact is strongest– they substantially enhanced the effectiveness of wave energy collection.The tube-shaped wave-energy harvesting device enhanced upon by the researchers is called a liquid-solid triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). A wire connected the electrodes to an external circuit.Placing both devices on a benchtop rocker moved water back and forth within the tubes and produced electrical currents by converting mechanical energy– the friction from water sliding or striking against the electrodes– into electrical energy.
