A Self-Sustainable Wearable Multi-Modular E-Textile Bioenergy Microgrid System

Abstract Despite the fast development of various energy harvesting and storage devices, their judicious integration into efficient, autonomous, and sustainable wearable systems has not been widely explored. Here, we introduce the concept and design principles of e-textile microgrids to the world of wearable electronics by demonstrating the operation of a multi-module bioenergy microgrid system. Unlike earlier hybrid wearable energy systems, the presented e-textile microgrid relies solely on human movements to work synergistically, harvesting biochemical and biomechanical energy using sweat-based biofuel cells and triboelectric generators, and regulating the harvested energy via supercapacitor modules for high-power output. Through careful energy budgeting, the versatile e-textile system offers fast-booting and extended-harvesting to efficiently power liquid crystal displays continuously or a sweat sensor-electrochromic display system in pulsed sessions. Implementing the “compatible form factors, commensurate performance and complementary functionality” design principles, the flexible, textile-based bioenergy microgrid offers attractive prospects for the design and operation of efficient, sustainable, and autonomous wearable systems.