Study on the Generating Performance of a Novel Piezoelectric Generator with Multilayer Cantilevers

Abstract

In order to improve the generating performance of piezoelectric generator, a novel piezoelectric generator with multilayer cantilever beams is designed, and the finite element model with three-layer cantilever beams is established based on ANSYS 12.0 for static analysis and modal analysis. The results of the simulation show that the piezoelectric cantilever beams have a consistent stress and vibration rule and conform to structural characteristics of the typical cantilever beam. On the basis of this, electromechanical coupling model is established to analyze the nephogram and fluctuation curve of voltage with outside incentive load on the fixed end(base) of each layer of cantilever beam. Physical device with three-layer beams is manufactured to test the stress, natural frequency and output voltage. It can be found that the experimental results coincide well with the simulation ones. Generating performance influence on piezoelectric unimorph cantilever with different vibration frequency and amplitude is investigated by experimental and simulated methods. The results indicate that the novel piezoelectric generator with multilayer cantilever has the optimal generating performance with an environmental vibration frequency of 38 Hz and amplitude of 1.25 mm.