Enhancing output power of a piezoelectric cantilever energy harvester using an oscillator

Abstract

The piezoelectric cantilever with a tip mass (Mass-PC), as a conventional vibration energy harvester, usually works at its fundamental frequency matching ambient excitation. By attaching an oscillator to a piezoelectric cantilever (Osc-PC), a double-mode energy harvester is developed to harvest more power from two matched ambient driving frequencies. Meanwhile, it allows the first operating frequency of the Osc-PC to be adjusted to be very low with only a limited mass attached. A distributed-parameter model of this harvester and the explicit expressions of its operating frequencies are derived to analyze and design the Osc-PC. Numerical investigations reveal that a heaver oscillator placed near the clamped end of the piezoelectric cantilever has better performance at the given exciting frequencies. Following the specified design criteria, an Osc-PC whose operating frequencies match two given exciting frequencies was constructed for the purpose of experimental testing. The results show that, compared to that of a corresponding Mass-PC whose operating frequency matches the lower exciting frequency, the energy harvesting efficiency of the Osc-PC increases by almost four times at the first operating frequency, while the output power at the second operating frequency of the Osc-PC accounts for 68% of that of the Mass-PC.