Abstract
In this study, a plucking-driven piezoelectric wave energy harvester (PDPWEH) consisted of a buoy, a gear train frequency up-conversion mechanism, and an array of piezoelectric cantilever beams was developed. The gear train frequency up-conversion mechanism with compact components included a rack, three gears, and a geared cam provide less energy loss to improve electrical output. Six individual piezoelectric composite beams were plucked by geared cam to generate electrical power in the array of piezoelectric cantilever beams. A sol-gel method was used to create the piezoelectric composite beams. To investigate PDPWEH, a mathematical model based on the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory was derived. The developed PDPWEH was tested in a wave flume. The wave heights were set to 100 and 75 mm, the wave periods were set to 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 s. The maximum output voltage of the measured value was 12.4 V. The maximum RMS voltage was 5.01 V, which was measured by connecting to an external 200 kΩ resistive load. The maximum average electrical power was 125.5 μw.
Highlights
The results show that the higher the wave rate that excites the buoy, the more electrical power is generated
We used a geared-linkage mechanism to develop a type of Piezoelectric Wave Energy Converter (PWEC), which converted wave at lower frequencies into mechanical motion at higher frequencies to improve the electrical efficiency of the PWEC [29]
The plucking-driven piezoelectric wave energy harvester (PDPWEH) consisted of a spherical buoy, a gear train frequency up-conversion mechanism, and an array of piezoelectric cantilever beams was developed
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Xie et al [15] proposed an ocean wave energy harvester with a piezoelectric plate that generates electrical energy from the transverse wave motion of water particles. The fluid-structure interaction between the waves and the buoy, and the structural interactions between the beams and the teeth, Energies 2021, 14, 8441 were considered in the mathematical model, which proves the effectiveness of the wave energy harvester with a frequency up-converted device. A plucking-driven piezoelectric wave energy harvester (PDPWEH) with gear train frequency up-conversion mechanism, and an array of piezoelectric cantilever beams were developed. Euler–Bernoulli beam theory, and is used to analyze the dynamics of the gear train and the vibration of the piezoelectric beam [28] This model considers the electromechanical coupling of piezoelectric materials. The developed PPWEH has been tested in the wave flume at Tainan Hydraulics Laboratory, National Chung Kung University, Taiwan (THL, NCKU)
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