Modeling, Simulation and Optimization of Piezoelectric Bimorph Transducer for Broadband Vibration Energy Harvesting in Multi-Beam and Trapezoidal Approach

Nan Chen,Vishwas Bedekar

doi:10.5539/jmsr.v7n2p26

Nan Chen, Vishwas Bedekar

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5539/jmsr.v7n2p26

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Abstract

The objective of the research is to design a broadband energy harvester device through the multi-beam approach and non-linear trapezoidal geometry approach. The performance of the composite piezoelectric PZT-PZN polycrystalline ceramic material is simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics, and results are compared using series configuration of a composite bimorph energy harvester which vibrates at its 1st fundamental frequency. We chose a five cantilever multibeam harvester to demonstrate that individual fundamental modes of the beams can achieve a broader frequency band and generate power. Authors also show that composite trapezoidal beam design leads to high power density broadband frequency response. The multibeam approach resulted in broader bandwidth of 18 Hz while generating a power density of 0.0913 mW/cm3 whereas the trapezoidal shape generated 2.3 – 2.5 mW/cm3 with a bandwidth of 4 to 6 Hz. Authors believe that these results could help design broadband energy harvesters to enhance power density as well as bandwidth.

Highlights

The objective of the research is to design a broadband energy harvester device through the multi-beam approach and non-linear trapezoidal geometry approach
As the demands of alternative energy source emerges from health care monitoring and remote sensing applications, broadband piezoelectric energy harvesters have recently attracted extensive attentions as the broadband design overcomes the narrow frequency response
Electric performance of the cantilever vanishes significantly when vibration frequency deviates from resonance frequency of the cantilever beam. The letter addresses this problem with multi-beam design and trapezoidal beam design to effectively increase the frequency band responses of piezoelectric energy harvester

Summary

Introduction

The objective of the research is to design a broadband energy harvester device through the multi-beam approach and non-linear trapezoidal geometry approach. Chen, Yang, and Deng (2009) compared the analytical stain of rectangular, trapezoidal and triangular composite piezoelectric beams and suggested the strain decreases slower as the length of the triangular beam grows than that of rectangular and trapezoidal beam, the authors showed that strain , stress and open circuit voltage is higher triangular design in ANSYS10 Finite element simulation , yet no loading optimal resistor is connected in a circuit nor bandwidth of power density results are not reported, as the result of open circuit voltage alone is not predicative enough for the beam’s performance.

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