A lever-type piezoelectric wave energy harvester based on magnetic coupling and inertial vibration

Abstract

Wave energy is not easily harvested due to its low-frequency movement. This paper proposed a lever-type piezoelectric wave energy harvester (LPWEH) based on magnetic coupling and inertial vibration. Through four sets of L-shaped lever structures, the LPWEH can fully use the kinetic energy created by wave motion. Using magnetic coupling and inertial vibration excitation methods can realize improved output performance. Meanwhile, using these two non-contact excitation methods can reduce the wear of the piezoelectric sheets. The effects of the installation height of the oscillating lever, the included angle of the oscillating lever, and the magnet mass at the end of piezoelectric sheets on the prototype's output voltage are studied. With the best testing conditions, the LPWEH can achieve an output voltage of 36.93 V and an output power of 16.72 mW at a resistance of 6 kΩ. In tests of wave environment, the LPWEH can light up 34 LEDs. These findings demonstrate that the LPWEH has a promising application for converting wave energy into electric energy, which may be used to supply electricity to some low-energy electronic devices.