Transient simulation of triboelectric nanogenerators considering surface roughness

the primary objective is to extend
the existing numerical framework and handle complexities related to the time-dependent problem. This
functionality will permit simulation of an actual TENG and predict output current with unprecedented
accuracy.
To bring the numerical model closer to the physics of an actual device, we will include viscoelastic
material behaviour and adhesive interaction of contacting layers. Furthermore, to compute the shortcircuit current, we will combine the finite element model for coupled PDE governing contact mechanics
and electrostatics with the time-solver for electric circuit ODE. These developments will be underpinned
by cutting-edge scientific computing tools available in MoFEM [5], enabling massively parallel
simulations required to demonstrate model's predictive capabilities. We will perform these studies using
local HPC facilities at the University of Glasgow, ARCHIE-WeSt supercomputer centre and cloud
resources.
Moreover, the project will include collaboration with colleagues at the Materials & Manufacturing
Research Group who are doing experimental research on TENG. Therefore, the second objective is to
provide an efficient, accessible and reliable tool for numerical simulation of TENG, assisting our
collaborators in accelerating the design, optimisation and prototyping of new devices. We will use
JupyterHub to move the whole simulation pipeline (setting-up of the model, post-processing,
visualisation) into a web browser, while computations will be performed in MoFEM using local or cloud
HPC capabilities.