Design and optimization of dynamic weighing and energy harvesting system based on piezoelectric materials: Application to transport

Abstract

Population growth, increasing energy demand, depletion of fossil resources and air pollution are challenges related to electricity production. This essential source of energy for our daily lives, presents a global concern and pushes humanity to seek new clean and renewable alternatives. We propose in the present work an energy recovery structure optimized for an application in the road sector by implementing a dynamic weighing system (WIM) in the pavements and this using piezoelectric ceramics (PZT). These devices will be used for controlling the vehicle load and then converting the mechanical energy of the passage of the vehicle into reusable electrical energy. In order to improve this mechanical-electrical energy conversion, different architectures have been proposed and studied using digital simulation software using the finite element method. In order to choose the most optimal structure allowing the maximum conversion of electrical energy while supporting the weight of the vehicle during road traffic, several topological and geometric optimization studies have been proposed. The structure having validated the different optimization objectives is then studied in an application in the transport sector. The results found show that the optimized design is a good converter of mechanical energy into electricity with a power of 154.6 kW under a road traffic of 60,000 vehicles /day.