Influence of the Power Generation Capacity of the Structural Parameters of a Piezoelectric Bimorph

With the popularization of integrated circuits, MEMS, and portable electronic devices, chemical batteries have many disadvantages as the main energy supply method, such as large size, high quality, and limited energy supply life, requiring regular replacement, resulting in waste of materials, environmental pollution, and other issues. From the above reasons, energy harvesting technology plays an important role in improving the efficiency and life of electronic equipment. In order to explore the influence of the bimorph piezoelectric vibrator’s structural parameters on the power generation capacity, this paper establishes a cantilever beam rectangular bimorph piezoelectric vibrator power generation model, derives the mathematical expression of the bimorph piezoelectric vibrator power generation, and determines the parameter factors that affect the power generation effect. Using MATLAB simulation analysis to obtain the influence relationship curve of system output voltage and structural parameters, the experiment tests the influence law of output voltage and thickness ratio, width-to-length ratio, and Young’s modulus ratio; the test results are consistent with the theoretical analysis, verifying the theory and the correctness of the analysis. The results show that when the thickness ratio is 0.58 and the width-to-length ratio is 1, the power generation effect of the piezoelectric vibrator is the best to reach 14.5V; the power generation capacity of the transducer is inversely proportional to Young’s modulus ratio. This research provides a new idea for the popularization of integrated circuits, MEMS, and portable electronic devices.

Design and Experiment Using Flexible Bumps for Piezoelectric-Driven Hydraulically Amplified Braille Dot Display

This paper describes the design of a piezoelectric-driven hydraulically amplified Braille-flexible bump device that enables the flexible formation of Braille characters. A piezoelectric vibrator is used to excite fluid resonance in a cavity, and displacement is realized by compressing the fluid, allowing Braille character dots to be formed. First, the structural design and working principle of the device, as well as the method used to drive the fluid, are explained. Expressions for the output displacement and amplification ratio of the flexible film and piezoelectric vibrator are then obtained through kinetic analysis of the system unit. Subsequently, the structural parameters that affect the output displacement and the liquid amplification are described. Finally, experimental tests of the system are explained. The results indicate that the output displacement of the contact formed by the flexible film reaches 0.214 mm, satisfying the requirements of the touch sensitivity standard for the blind, when the fluid cavity diameter measures 31 mm and the resonance frequency is 375.4 Hz. The corresponding water discharge is 8.8 mL. This study proves that constructing a Braille bump device in this way is both feasible and effective.

Wind-induced vibration piezoelectric energy collection in ventilation tunnels

Ventilation tunnel wind-induced vibration piezoelectric energy collection MFC as vibration energy in the ventilation tunnel and stores it in the energy storage device to provide the electrical energy required by the wireless sensor in the tunnel. According to the piezoelectric effect of piezoelectric materials, the instantaneous accumulated positive and negative charges generated at both ends of the piezoelectric vibrator at the instantaneous wind speed and wind vibration in the tunnel are collected. By establishing a piezoelectric energy collection model, the irregular transient charges are captured and stored as Available direct current. The piezoelectric energy harvesting model uses wind speed rotation as the traction force to drive the piezoelectric vibrator to vibrate, thereby converting wind energy into instantaneous electrical energy, and using the electrical energy harvesting device to store the electrical energy in the energy storage device. Experiments verify that when the wind-induced vibration piezoelectric energy collection model of the ventilation tunnel is at a wind speed of 8m/s, the maximum output voltage of the energy storage device is 42.2V, which can meet the power supply requirements of wireless sensors in the ventilation tunnel.

A Theoretical and Experimental Study of a Piezoelectric Pump with Two Elastic Chambers

The paper is a continuation of our work on the dynamic load in piezoelectric pumps. In the study, the dynamic load of liquid in the pipelines was proposed as a key factor that limits the output performance of piezoelectric pumps. To decrease the dynamic load, a piezoelectric pump with two elastic chambers was proposed in our previous published work. In this paper, the performance and key parameters of the piezoelectric pump with two elastic chambers were studied through theoretical analyses and experimental tests. After establishing the mathematical model of the piezoelectric pump with two elastic chambers, the paper theoretically analyzed the performance of the pump and the effect of different structural parameters on the performance. Then prototypes with a range of structural parameters were developed and tested. As revealed from the test results, the elastic chamber effectively decreased the dynamic load of the liquid in the pipelines and the flow rate of the prototype with two elastic chambers was higher than that of the prototype with one or no elastic chamber. However, the elastic chamber did not lead to the increase in the maximum output backpressure of the prototype. Adopting an elastic diaphragm exhibiting a smaller stiffness or a larger diameter could help decrease the dynamic load of the liquid. The elastic chamber more significantly impacted the flow rate of the piezoelectric pump with long pipelines. The pump chamber height had a significant effect on the output performance of the piezoelectric pump with two elastic chambers, which is consistent with the conventional piezoelectric pump. At the height of 0.2 mm, the flow rate of the prototype with two elastic chambers was peaked at 7.7 mL/min; at the height of 0.05 mm, the output backpressure reached the highest of 28.2 kPa. The dynamic load could decrease the amplitude of the piezoelectric vibrator, whereas the prototype with two elastic chambers could effectively reduce the impact of dynamic load on the piezoelectric vibrator. The flow rate decreased almost linearly with the backpressure. Under the same backpressure, the flow rate of the prototype with two elastic chambers was higher than that of the prototype without elastic chamber, and the flow rate difference between the two prototypes gradually decreased with the backpressure.