A Novel Multi-Directional Nonlinear Piezoelectric Energy Harvester Coupled With Nonlinear Conditioning Circuits

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhengbao Yang ◽  
Jean Zu
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvester ◽  
Piezoelectric Materials ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Elastic Rods ◽  
Energy Harvesters ◽  
Piezoelectric Energy ◽  
High Power Output ◽  
Transduction Mechanisms ◽  
Self Powered ◽  
Aluminum Plates

Energy harvesting from vibrations has become, in recent years, a recurring target of a quantity of research to achieve self-powered operation of low-power electronic devices. However, most of energy harvesters developed to date, regardless of different transduction mechanisms and various structures, are designed to capture vibration energy from single predetermined direction. To overcome the problem of the unidirectional sensitivity, we proposed a novel multi-directional nonlinear energy harvester using piezoelectric materials. The harvester consists of a flexural center (one PZT plate sandwiched by two bow-shaped aluminum plates) and a pair of elastic rods. Base vibration is amplified and transferred to the flexural center by the elastic rods and then converted to electrical energy via the piezoelectric effect. A prototype was fabricated and experimentally compared with traditional cantilevered piezoelectric energy harvester. Following that, a nonlinear conditioning circuit (self-powered SSHI) was analyzed and adopted to improve the performance. Experimental results shows that the proposed energy harvester has the capability of generating power constantly when the excitation direction is changed in 360. It also exhibits a wide frequency bandwidth and a high power output which is further improved by the nonlinear circuit.

scholarly journals A Review on Mechanisms for Piezoelectric-Based Energy Harvesters

Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1850 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hassan Elahi ◽  
Marco Eugeni ◽  
Paolo Gaudenzi
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Piezoelectric Materials ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Piezoelectric Transducers ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Electric Voltage ◽  
Energy Harvesters ◽  
Piezoelectric Energy ◽  
Self Powered

From last few decades, piezoelectric materials have played a vital role as a mechanism of energy harvesting, as they have the tendency to absorb energy from the environment and transform it to electrical energy that can be used to drive electronic devices directly or indirectly. The power of electronic circuits has been cut down to nano or micro watts, which leads towards the development of self-designed piezoelectric transducers that can overcome power generation problems and can be self-powered. Moreover, piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) can reduce the need for batteries, resulting in optimization of the weight of structures. These mechanisms are of great interest for many researchers, as piezoelectric transducers are capable of generating electric voltage in response to thermal, electrical, mechanical and electromagnetic input. In this review paper, Fluid Structure Interaction-based, human-based, and vibration-based energy harvesting mechanisms were studied. Moreover, qualitative and quantitative analysis of existing PEH mechanisms has been carried out.

scholarly journals Power Density Improvement of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters via a Novel Hybridization Scheme with Electromagnetic Transduction

Micromachines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 803
Author(s):  
Zhongjie Li ◽  
Chuanfu Xin ◽  
Yan Peng ◽  
Min Wang ◽  
Jun Luo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Density ◽  
Output Power ◽  
Energy Harvester ◽  
Hybrid Energy ◽  
Energy Harvesters ◽  
Piezoelectric Patch ◽  
Piezoelectric Energy ◽  
Electromagnetic Transduction ◽  
Self Powered ◽  
Power Densities

A novel hybridization scheme is proposed with electromagnetic transduction to improve the power density of piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) in this paper. Based on the basic cantilever piezoelectric energy harvester (BC-PEH) composed of a mass block, a piezoelectric patch, and a cantilever beam, we replaced the mass block by a magnet array and added a coil array to form the hybrid energy harvester. To enhance the output power of the electromagnetic energy harvester (EMEH), we utilized an alternating magnet array. Then, to compare the power density of the hybrid harvester and BC-PEH, the experiments of output power were conducted. According to the experimental results, the power densities of the hybrid harvester and BC-PEH are, respectively, 3.53 mW/cm3 and 5.14 μW/cm3 under the conditions of 18.6 Hz and 0.3 g. Therefore, the power density of the hybrid harvester is 686 times as high as that of the BC-PEH, which verified the power density improvement of PEH via a hybridization scheme with EMEH. Additionally, the hybrid harvester exhibits better performance for charging capacitors, such as charging a 2.2 mF capacitor to 8 V within 17 s. It is of great significance to further develop self-powered devices.

Performance analysis of a lever piezoelectric energy harvester for roadway applications

2021 ◽  
pp. 1045389X2110014
Author(s):  
Guangya Ding ◽  
Hongjun Luo ◽  
Jun Wang ◽  
Guohui Yuan
Keyword(s):  
Output Power ◽  
Energy Harvester ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Traffic Load ◽  
Energy Harvesters ◽  
Speed Sensor ◽  
Piezoelectric Energy ◽  
Optimal Load ◽  
Self Powered ◽  
Output Characteristics

A novel lever piezoelectric energy harvester (LPEH) was designed for installation in an actual roadway for energy harvesting. The model incorporates a lever module that amplifies the applied traffic load and transmits it to the piezoelectric ceramic. To observe the piezoelectric growth benefits of the optimized LPEH structure, the output characteristics and durability of two energy harvesters, the LPEH and a piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) without a lever, were measured and compared by carrying out piezoelectric performance tests and traffic model experiments. Under the same loading condition, the open circuit voltages of the LPEH and PEH were 20.6 and 11.7 V, respectively, which represents a 76% voltage increase for the LPEH compared to the PEH. The output power of the LPEH was 21.51 mW at the optimal load, which was three times higher than that of the PEH (7.45 mW). The output power was linearly dependent on frequency and load, implying the potential application of the module as a self-powered speed sensor. When tested during 300,000 loading cycles, the LPEH still exhibited stable structural performance and durability.

Assumed-Modes Formulation of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters: Euler-Bernoulli, Rayleigh and Timoshenko Models With Axial Deformations

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alper Erturk ◽  
Daniel J. Inman
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Solution ◽  
Piezoelectric Materials ◽  
Axial Direction ◽  
Vibration Energy ◽  
Power Requirement ◽  
Large Power ◽  
Energy Harvesters ◽  
Piezoelectric Energy ◽  
Cantilevered Beam ◽  
Transduction Mechanisms

Harvesting of vibration energy has been investigated by numerous researchers over the last decade. The research motivation in this field is due to the reduced power requirement of small electronic components such as wireless sensor networks used in monitoring applications. The ultimate goal is to power such devices by using the waste vibration energy available in their environment so that the maintenance requirement for battery replacement is minimized. Among the basic transduction mechanisms that can be used for vibration-to-electricity conversion, piezoelectric transduction has received the most attention due to the large power densities and ease of application of piezoelectric materials. Typically, a piezoelectric energy harvester is a cantilevered beam with one or two piezoceramic layers and the source of excitation is the base motion in the transverse direction. This paper presents general formulations for electromechanical modeling of base-excited piezoelectric energy harvesters with symmetric and asymmetric laminates. The electromechanical derivations are given using the assumed-modes method under the Euler-Bernoulli, Rayleigh and Timoshenko beam assumptions in three sections. The formulations account for an independent axial displacement variable in all cases. Comparisons are provided against the analytical solution given by the authors for symmetric laminates and convergence of the assumed-modes solution to the analytical solution with the increasing number of modes is shown. Experimental validations are also presented by comparing the electromechanical frequency response functions derived here against the experimentally obtained ones. The electromechanical assumed-modes formulations given here can be used for modeling of piezoelectric energy harvesters with asymmetric laminates as well as those with moderate thickness and varying geometry in the axial direction.

scholarly journals Development and Validation of an Enhanced Coupled-Field Model for PZT Cantilever Bimorph Energy Harvester

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Long Zhang ◽  
Keith A. Williams ◽  
Zhengchao Xie
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvester ◽  
Field Model ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Conservation Of Energy ◽  
Energy Harvesters ◽  
Piezoelectric Energy ◽  
Comparison Results ◽  
Coupled Field

The power source with the limited life span has motivated the development of the energy harvesters that can scavenge the ambient environment energy and convert it into the electrical energy. With the coupled field characteristics of structure to electricity, piezoelectric energy harvesters are under consideration as a means of converting the mechanical energy to the electrical energy, with the goal of realizing completely self-powered sensor systems. In this paper, two previous models in the literatures for predicting the open-circuit and close-circuit voltages of a piezoelectric cantilever bimorph (PCB) energy harvester are first described, that is, the mechanical equivalent spring mass-damper model and the electrical equivalent circuit model. Then, the development of an enhanced coupled field model for the PCB energy harvester based on another previous model in the literature using a conservation of energy method is presented. Further, the laboratory experiments are carried out to evaluate the enhanced coupled field model and the other two previous models in the literatures. The comparison results show that the enhanced coupled field model can better predict the open-circuit and close-circuit voltages of the PCB energy harvester with a proof mass bonded at the free end of the structure in order to increase the energy-harvesting level of the system.

Metamaterial Concepts for Structure-Borne Wave Energy Harvesting: Focusing, Funneling, and Localization

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Carrara ◽  
M. R. Cacan ◽  
J. Toussaint ◽  
M. J. Leamy ◽  
M. Ruzzene ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Wave Energy ◽  
Energy Harvester ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Lattice Structure ◽  
Piezoelectric Materials ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Energy Localization ◽  
Wave Focusing ◽  
Piezoelectric Energy

Enhancement of structure-borne wave energy harvesting is investigated by exploiting metamaterial-based and metamaterial-inspired electroelastic systems. The concepts of wave focusing, funneling, and localization are leveraged to establish novel Metamaterial–Energy Harvester (MEH) configurations. The MEH system transforms the incoming structure-borne wave energy into electrical energy by coupling the metamaterial and electroelastic domains. The energy harvesting component of the work employs piezoelectric transduction due to the high power density and ease of application offered by piezoelectric materials. Therefore, in all MEH configurations studied in this work, the metamaterial system is combined with piezoelectric energy harvesting for enhanced electricity generation from waves propagating in elastic structures. Experiments are conducted to validate the dramatic performance enhancement in MEH systems as compared to using the same volume of piezoelectric patch in the absence of the metamaterial component. It is shown that MEH systems can be used for both broadband and tuned wave energy harvesting. Examples include (1) wave guiding using an acoustic funnel, (2) wave focusing using a metamaterial-inspired elliptical acoustic mirror (both for broadband energy harvesting), and (3) energy localization using an imperfection in a 2-D lattice structure (for tuned energy harvesting).

Design, Analysis, and Experimental Studies of a Novel PVDF-Based Piezoelectric Energy Harvester With Beating Mechanisms

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuo-Shen Chen
Keyword(s):  
Natural Frequency ◽  
Energy Harvester ◽  
Piezoelectric Materials ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Energy Harvesters ◽  
Piezoelectric Energy ◽  
Low Frequency Vibration ◽  
High Efficient ◽  
The Future

Wireless sensor networks become increasingly important in modern life for structural health monitoring and other related applications. In these applications, due to their overall sensor populations and possible covered measurement areas, the replacement of batteries becomes a difficult and unrealistic task. As a result, energy harvesters to convert environment wasted vibration energy into electricity for powering those sensor nodes become important and many miniaturized device have been realized by using MEMS technology. In order to achieve optimal performance, the energy harvester must be operated at the resonance frequency. However, the vibration frequencies of environmental vibrations are usually much less than that of those miniaturizing energy harvesters and this fact could be a major barrier for energy harvesting performance. In this paper, a new piezoelectric energy scavenging concept is proposed and demonstrated to convert environmental vibrations into electricity. Unlike previous MEMS-based piezoelectric energy harvesters, which suffer from matching between environmental low frequency vibration and the much higher system natural frequency, this work proposes a novel beating design using polymer piezoelectric materials in collaborating with a beating mechanism. That is, by creating impact force via the low frequency vibration motion from the mechanism, it is possible to excite system natural frequency by the low frequency environmental vibrations and it is possible to operate the entire system at the natural frequency. This work contains details in presenting this idea, designing piezoelectric harvester systems with flexible PVDF elements, exploring their vibration characteristics, and energy accumulating strategies by using a capacitor with a full-bridged rectifiers or a boost conversion. By experimental characterization, the overall harvesting efficiency of the proposed design is much greater than that from the design without the beating mechanism. It indicates that the efficiency is significantly improved and the proposed translational design could potentially improve the future design approach for piezoelectric energy harvesters significantly. In summary, this preliminary study shows that it is a feasible scheme for the application of piezoelectric materials in harvesting electricity from environmental vibrations. Although this work is still in its initial phase, the results and conclusions of this work are still invaluable for guiding the development of high efficient piezoelectric harvesters in the future.

scholarly journals Design and Experimental Study of an L Shape Piezoelectric Energy Harvester

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
In-Ho Kim ◽  
Seon-Jun Jang ◽  
Hyung-Jo Jung
Keyword(s):  
Output Voltage ◽  
Energy Harvester ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Mechanical Strain ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Energy Harvesters ◽  
Piezoelectric Energy ◽  
Cantilevered Beam ◽  
Beam Type ◽  
Low Efficiency

Piezoelectric energy harvesters of cantilevered beam type are studied in various fields due to simplicity. In general, these systems obtain electrical energy from mechanical strain by bending of cantilevered beam. However, conventional systems have disadvantages that they have low efficiency in frequency regions other than resonance frequency. To overcome the limitations, various energy harvesters to apply performance enhancement strategies are proposed and investigated. In this paper, a frequency-changeable L shape energy harvester which is form connected cantilever beam and rigid arm is proposed and investigated. The conventional piezoelectric energy harvester exhibits the principal frequency in the simple bending mode whereas the proposed system features the twisting mode resulting in a higher output voltage than the conventional system. The proposed energy harvester is simplified to a two-degree-of-freedom model and its dynamics are described. How the length of a rigid bar affects its natural frequencies is also studied. To evaluate the performance of the system, experiments by using a vertical shaker and numerical simulation are carried out. As a result, it is shown that the natural frequency for a twisting mode decreases as the arm length increased, and the higher output voltage is generated comparing with those of the conventional energy harvester.

A Fractal-Inspired Multi-Frequency Piezoelectric Energy Converter: Computational and Experimental Characterization

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Castagnetti
Keyword(s):  
Power Output ◽  
Piezoelectric Materials ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Sensor Nodes ◽  
Energy Converter ◽  
Piezoelectric Energy ◽  
Physical Prototype ◽  
Self Powered ◽  
Resistive Loads ◽  
Energy Harvesting Devices

In order to develop self-powered wireless sensor nodes, many energy harvesting devices, able to convert freely available ambient energy into electrical energy, have been proposed in the literature. A promising technique, in terms of simplicity and high conversion efficiency, is the harvesting of ambient kinetic energy through piezoelectric materials. The aim of this work is to design and investigate the modal response and the power output of a fractal-inspired, multi-frequency, piezoelectric energy converter, previously presented by the author. Two are the steps of the work. First, a computational modal analysis of the converter is performed. Second, a physical prototype of the converter is built and its eigenfrequencies and power generation under different resistive loads are experimentally examined in the range between 0 and 120 Hz. The converter exhibits three eigenfrequencies and a good power output, in particular at the first eigenfrequency.

A human heartbeat frequencies based 2-DOF piezoelectric energy harvester for pacemaker application

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hygin Davidson Mayekol Mayck ◽  
Ahmed Mohamed Rashad Fath El-Bab ◽  
Evan Murimi ◽  
Pierre Moukala Mpele
Keyword(s):  
Lead Zirconate Titanate ◽  
Energy Harvester ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Life Time ◽  
Lead Zirconate ◽  
Secondary Beam ◽  
Average Output ◽  
Energy Harvesters ◽  
Piezoelectric Energy ◽  
Self Powered

Abstract In the last decade, piezoelectric energy harvesters have received a significant attention from the scientific community. This comes along with the need of developing self-powered devices such as medical implant to reduce the cost and risk of surgery. This paper investigates a two degree of freedom (2-DOF) piezoelectric energy harvester device to be integrated into a pacemaker. The 2-DOF is designed as a cut-out beam with a secondary beam cut into a primary one. The system is developed to operate in the frequency range of 0–2 Hz, with an acceleration of 1 g (9.8 m/s2) to match the heartbeat frequencies (1–1.67 Hz). The system uses a Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) and a Poly Methyl Methacrylate (PMMA) as lead beam to compensate the brittleness of PZT. COMSOL Multiphysics software is used to model and analyze the resonant frequencies of the system, and the stress in the piezoelectric beam. The proposed device has a compact volume of 26 × 11.58 × 0.41 mm, which can fit perfectly in a pacemaker whose battery volume has been reduced by 50%. The output voltage and power are determined through analytical calculus using Matlab. Typical pacemakers require 1 μW to operate. Thus, with a peak power of 30.97 μW at 1.5 Hz and an average output power of 11.05 μW observed from 0.9 to 1.7 Hz, the harvester can power a pacemaker. It is assumed that the energy harvester could extend its life time for 5–10 more years. Furthermore, the harvester operates at extremely low frequency and produces reasonable power, making it suitable for biomedical devices.

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