Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvester Research Articles

Electro-Mechanical Coupling Analysis of L-Shaped Three-Dimensional Braided Piezoelectric Composites Vibration Energy Harvester.

In this article, an L-shaped three-dimensional (3D) braided piezoelectric composite energy harvester (BPCEH) is established, which consists of an elastic layer composed of a 3D braided composite, flanked by upper and lower layers of piezoelectric material and two tuning mass blocks. Glass fiber and epoxy resin are used to produce a 3D braided composite. This L-shaped 3D BPCEH is mechanically designable and can be adapted to different work requirements by varying the braided angle of the 3D braided composite layer. The material parameters of 3D braided composites are predicted for different braided angles by means of a representative volume element (RVE). Electro-mechanical coupled vibration equations for the L-shaped 3D BPCEH are established. The impact of braided angles on voltage and power output is discussed in this article. Simulations using finite element method are conducted to analyze the voltage and power output responses at various braided angles. In addition, the effects of the mass of mass block B and the length of the beam on the output performance of the L-shaped 3D BPCEH are analyzed.

Potential use of piezoelectric laser-induced vibration energy harvesting in wireless power transmission: Theoretical modelling and simulation

Because of continuous trend in wireless microdevice technology, a novel model of a laser-induced piezoelectric microgenerator within the framework of the non-Fourier heat conduction and nonlocal elasticity theory is proposed in this research. A non-Gaussian profile is considered for the laser source. The Galerkin method and the Laplace transform are employed to discretize and solve the coupled electro-thermo-mechanical equations, respectively. The inverse Laplace transform is numerically calculated to investigate the influences of the resistance load, laser intensity, laser absorption depth, specific heat capacity and thickness of the piezoelectric layer on the voltage response and power output of the microharvester. The obtained results reveal that the performance of the microharvester is dramatically affected by changing these parameters. Also, some optimum design parameters are provided to ensure the best performance of the system. Therefore, the present study can be helpful in analysis, design and optimization of wireless power devices, light-induced actuators and sensors in the future.

A novel asymmetric tri-stable piezoelectric vibration energy harvester for low-orbit vibration energy harvesting enhancement

This study introduces an innovative asymmetric tri-stable piezoelectric vibration energy harvester (ATPVEH) augmented with an elastic base (EB), aimed at optimizing energy capture from low-orbit vibrations. This design incorporates a uniquely configured asymmetric tri-stable piezoelectric cantilever beam, positioned within a U-shaped block that is further enhanced by an elastic base. A strategically placed spring (kf)–mass (Mf) system, situated between the U-shaped block and the constrained end of the beam, significantly boosts the vertical displacement of the beam during vibrational events. We developed a dynamic model for the ATPVEH+EB utilizing Lagrange’s equations, exploring the impact of various factors—including the asymmetry of the potential well, the stiffness of the elastic base, the mass of the spring–mass system, and the load resistance—on the system’s nonlinear dynamic responses. Our findings indicate that the ATPVEH+EB facilitates more efficient energy harvesting from low-orbit vibrations, demonstrating dual response peaks across its operational frequency spectrum. Notably, the displacement and output voltage amplitudes of the ATPVEH+EB can be enhanced by increasing mf or decreasing kb, whereas the peak output power transitions toward a lower frequency range as the load resistance escalates. Both theoretical analyses and numerical simulations corroborate the ATPVEH+EB’s superior performance in harvesting energy within low-orbit vibrational environments.

Response analysis of asymmetric monostable energy harvester with an uncertain parameter

The nonlinear piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting system offers a solution to the power supply challenge for low-power sensors. However, In practical engineering, structural parameter uncertainties arise from manufacturing errors, environmental temperature fluctuations, and changes in material properties. Besides, due to inherent flaws in the structure and materials, asymmetry may occur in the potential well, which leads to the complexity of the dynamic behavior exhibited in energy harvesting system. In this paper, in order to investigate the dynamics of the asymmetric monostable piezoelectric energy harvesting system under an uncertain parameter, the orthogonal polynomial approximation method is applied to transform the stochastic system into an equivalent deterministic system. Then, the responses of the equivalent deterministic system are used to reveal the stochastic behavior of the uncertainty system. The results indicate that, when the uncertainty intensity of the cubic nonlinear coefficient is 0, an increase in the asymmetry level of the potential well leads to an increase in the output voltage. Increasing the other parameters, the output voltage is reduced. In addition, as the uncertainty intensity increases, the parameter intervals of chaotic response become wider and the energy harvesting efficiency decreases. Moreover, as the potential well asymmetry increases, the sensitivity of energy harvesting system to uncertain parameter increases.

Numerical Modelling of Bistable Cross-Ply Laminates as Sustainable Materials for Piezoelectric Vibrational Energy Harvesting

Numerical Modelling of Bistable Cross-Ply Laminates as Sustainable Materials for Piezoelectric Vibrational Energy Harvesting

Approximate analytical solutions of the 1:3 internal resonance response of piezoelectric energy harvester considering two types of coupled frequency components

The 1:3 internal resonance effect in the L-shaped piezoelectric vibration energy harvester leads to an expanded frequency band for energy harvesting and better matching of external excitation frequency in the environment. The electromechanical-coupled governing equations for this vibration energy harvester have been validated in our previous work (Nie et al., 2019). The effect of load resistance on the energy harvester’s natural frequency and damping ratio is addressed. The quadratic and cubic nonlinearities in this system leads to two types of coupled frequency components appear, they ultimately affect the approximate solution of the voltage response. The method of multiple scales is used to derive the two types of coupled frequency components of the system along with their contribution to the output responses. The revised approximate analytical solutions of the output responses are then presented. The system’s stability is assessed through the Jacobi matrix of modulation equations. The nonlinear softening phenomenon that favors the broadening of the bandwidth of the energy harvester is analyzed. The vibration patterns in regions with nonlinear softening and non-softening behavior are investigated through frequency spectra, phase trajectories, and Poincaré cross-sections. The findings reveal that the load resistance significantly affects the damping ratio of the harvester. Inclusion of quadratic and cubic nonlinearities results in three frequency components in the output responses spectrum, with an approximate ratio of 1:2:3. Two types of coupled frequency components appeared in the spectrum of the system’s output responses. The contribution of coupled frequency components to the output response proves crucial, and the revised approximate solutions are in good agreement with that of numerical solutions. The output responses are significantly affected by the initial conditions in the nonlinear softening region, the large and small initial conditions yield solutions in the upper and lower branches, respectively.

Experimental study on the piezo-based energy harvester utilizing the ambient vibrations for smart applications

The proposed energy harvester has novel construction, its performance evaluated through frequency response, force response and power harvested under an optimum load, is presented. This harvester is more suitable for low power applications like IoT devices, Wireless sensor nodes and biomedical implants. The suggested harvester has two sections namely truncated cone and rectangular beam section (TCRB). The analytical model is formulated and natural frequencies are obtained using FEA tool. Simulations for natural frequencies and associated comprehensive parameters are done along with distribution of stress across the piezo patch. The tapered radius ratio of the truncated cone is analysed to obtain the optimal value. The simulated model is fabricated and verified experimentally. The result is compared with uniform cantilever beam harvester. The voltage produced by a TCRB harvester is 56.76 % higher than the harvester with a homogeneous rectangular cantilever beam. The rectangular harvester has a resonant frequency of 52.8 Hz, while the TCRB harvester has 39.4 Hz. Also, the TCRB type piezoelectric vibration energy harvester with optimum taper radius ratio provides greater power, than uniform and trapezoidal cantilever beams. The obtained experimental results match the simulation results, ascertains the validity of the proposed harvester.

Impact of Duffing and Piezoelectric-Coupling Nonlinearities on Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvesting

Impact of Duffing and Piezoelectric-Coupling Nonlinearities on Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvesting

Design a low-frequency vibration energy harvesting device based on a square spiral beam local resonant phononic crystal

Self-powered miniature wireless sensors play a crucial role in Internet of Things technology. Harvesting low-frequency environmental vibrations to achieve self-powering of sensors is a current hot topic in research. In this study, a square spiral beam local resonant phononic crystal is designed for low-frequency vibrational energy harvesting. Initially, the bandgap and vibrational modes of an ideal phononic crystal at infinite period are analyzed by the finite element method; the possibility of using the structure to harvest vibrational energy is explored. Subsequently, a PnC plate model with a unit cell is built, and its vibrational modes are analyzed, verifying that it possesses similar vibrational properties. Following this, a piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting device is assembled and its energy harvesting performance is analyzed. Numerical simulations indicate that the designed device can achieve a maximum power density of 52.14 μW/cm2. Physical experiments validate the excellent energy harvesting performance of the device. The device offering a new option for designing self-powered devices for wireless miniature sensors.

Research on piezoelectric vibration energy harvester for cutting part of roadheader

At present, coal mine tunneling technology is developing in the direction of intelligence and unmanned. The piezoelectric vibration energy harvester can convert the vibration energy generated by the cutting part of roadheader into electrical energy and realize the energy self-sufficiency of the low-power wireless sensor. In practical applications, the vibration frequency of the cutting part of roadheader is different, and the working condition is complex, resulting in the energy recovery efficiency of the vibration energy harvester is not ideal. In order to improve its adaptability and reliability, a separated excitation broadband piezoelectric vibration energy harvester is proposed in this paper.

Modelling and analysis of a novel E-shape piezoelectric vibration energy harvester with dynamic magnifier

An important issue in conventional harvesters is that the output performance is limited to small strains and narrow bandwidth. To address these issues, a novel E-shape harvester with dynamic magnifier is devised to magnify the base vibration and enhance electric energy in low-frequency complicated environment. In this study, a novel electromechanical coupling dynamic model is established by considering the characteristics of the E-shape structure. Meanwhile, the analytical expressions of the eigenfunction and resonance frequency of the developed model are presented. The effect of system parameters on the power output are investigated and discussed. Results indicate that the electric energy can be significantly enhanced and the vibration amplitude can be magnified using properly design structural parameters. The proposed harvester with dynamic magnifier is a simple and effective approach for enhancing energy harvesting near a target operating frequency.

High efficiency active rectifier with low-power self-biased comparator for low-frequency piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting of AUV

This paper proposes an Active Rectifier for low-frequency vibration piezoelectric (PZE) energy harvesting of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). By using the cross-coupled NMOS transistors and active driven PMOS transistor, the turned-on resistance across the transistors could be minimized such that the voltage conversion efficiency is improved. Besides, the problem of the reverse current is avoided. Moreover, the novel self-biased low power comparator operated in subthreshold region is employed to reduce the power consumption. Only 6 MOS transistors and 1 resistor are required in the proposed self-biased comparator. The proposed design is implemented with a 0.18μm HV process. Based on the measurement results, the peak voltage conversion efficiency (VCE) and the peak power conversion efficiency (PCE) are 97.63% and 96.26%, respectively, at 50 KΩ loads and 20 Hz vibration frequency. The maximum output power is 14.1 mW with the load of 1 KΩ.

Different Scenarios of Autonomous Operation of an Environmental Sensor Node Using a Piezoelectric-Vibration-Based Energy Harvester.

This paper delves into the application of vibration-based energy harvesting to power environmental sensor nodes, a critical component of modern data collection systems. These sensor nodes play a crucial role in structural health monitoring, providing essential data on external conditions that can affect the health and performance of structures. We investigate the feasibility and efficiency of utilizing piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters to sustainably power environmental wireless sensor nodes on the one hand. On the other hand, we exploit different approaches to minimize the sensor node's power consumption and maximize its efficiency. The investigations consider various sensor node platforms and assess their performance under different voltage levels and broadcast frequencies. The findings reveal that optimized harvester designs enable real-time data broadcasting with short intervals, ranging from 1 to 3 s, expanding the horizons of environmental monitoring, and show that in case the system includes a battery as a backup plan, the battery's lifetime can be extended up to 9 times. This work underscores the potential of vibration energy harvesting as a viable solution for powering sensor nodes, enhancing their autonomy, and reducing maintenance costs in remote and challenging environments. It opens doors to broader applications of sustainable energy sources in environmental monitoring and data collection systems.

An improved stochastic averaging process on a monostable piezoelectric vibrational energy harvester model excited by colored noise

A monostable piezoelectric vibration energy harvester (VEH) model subject to Gaussian colored noise is studied in this paper. With the help of energy balance method, a concise expression of the transient frequency which is determined by transient amplitude is used in the stochastic averaging process. Then an Itô stochastic differential equation is obtained. The new expression of frequency can lead to pretty good probability density function (PDF) of the displacement, PDF of output electric voltage of the VEH model, even if the nonlinear stiffness coefficient is very large. The influence of the nonlinear stiffness coefficient on the PDFs and on the output electric voltage is detailed and discussed. It is found that the larger nonlinear stiffness coefficient is, the smaller motion range and smaller mean square value of electric voltage it will result in. Furthermore, the larger time delay coefficient of the colored noise is, the larger mean square value of electric voltage it will lead to. Numerical simulations verified the accuracy of this method.

Design and performance of a novel magnetically induced penta-stable piezoelectric energy harvester

The magnetically induced multi-stable piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters have garnered significant attention due to their strong nonlinear characteristics, wide operating bandwidths, and high electromechanical energy conversion efficiency. However, a traditional penta-stable design typically requires four rectangular external magnets. The excessive number of structural parameters amplify complexities in system optimization, dynamic analysis, and prototype installation, impeding harvester manufacturing and application. This study presents a novel penta-stable harvester design that utilizes interaction forces among a rectangular magnet and two annular magnets, resulting in a simplified system requiring only two external magnets. This design approach streamlines system design, dynamic analysis, and prototype installation, providing a fresh perspective on magnetic penta-stable vibration energy harvester design. The magnetizing current method is employed to accurately determine the system’s magnetic field and magnetic force. Stability analysis indicates that the multi-stability of the harvester is influenced by both the vertical magnetic force and equivalent linear elastic force, which can be effectively controlled by adjusting the system’s components. Dynamic simulations conducted under Gaussian white noise excitation confirm the penta-stable behavior of the system, and the dynamic responses verify that a shallower potential well depth contributes to the system’s ability to attain a higher output voltage. Experimental validations closely align with simulation results, providing strong evidence for the accuracy of the study’s findings. Furthermore, a practical application experiment demonstrates the harvester’s capability to power a hygrothermograph, highlighting its potential for real-world energy harvesting applications.

Numerical analysis and experimental validation of nonlinear broadband monostable and bistable energy harvesters

Vibration based piezoelectric energy harvesting has been receiving more and more attention for supplying usable electrical energy to low-power electronic devices. This type of energy can produce the desired voltage to power any low electronic device or wireless sensor. But most of them provide lower voltage and insufficient power. In this paper, the nonlinear magnetic field is introduced to broaden the effective resonant bandwidth for overcoming this issue. The dynamic linear and nonlinear model of magnetic coupling piezoelectric vibration energy harvester is established based on the Hamilton principle, Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, piezoelectric theory, and Kirchhoff's law and law of mechanics. Numerical solutions of nonlinear energy harvesting systems are studied by using the Runge-Kutta method. The bifurcation diagram, Poincare map, power spectrum, and phase trajectory of voltage output are investigated with different excitation amplitudes and frequencies. Simulation of linear and nonlinear model were illustrated at given excitation levels. Simulation results show the harvesting performance can be improved by proper external magnetic coupling and potential energy function. The theoretical harmonic balance analysis results verify the numerical solution and influence the mechanism of excitation levels and interface resistances. Experimental verification is carried out to measure the nonlinear restoring force and examine the performance of nonlinear bistable and monostable energy harvesters. The experiment results show the nonlinear bistable and monostable energy harvesters can provide larger voltage and more power.

Electro‐mechanical coupling analysis of three‐dimensional embedded braided composite piezoelectric vibration energy harvester

AbstractIn this article, the piezoelectric patches are embedded into three‐dimensional (3‐D) braided composite material (BCM), and a 3‐D embedded braided composite piezoelectric vibration energy harvester (BCPEH) is designed. The 3‐D embedded BCPEH can be applied in more complex working environments to protecting the piezoelectric patches, and has a longer lifespan. The material parameters of the 3‐D BCM are obtained by analyzing the representative volume units (RVU). Using Hamilton's variational principle, the vibration control equation, and the output voltage and power expression are derived. The influence of excitation frequency, load resistance, and external excitation on the output voltage and power are simulated under different braided angles and embedded depths.

Dynamic analysis of novel bionic piezoelectric vibration energy harvester for power transformer

Inspired by the morphological transformation of spiders during motion, a novel bionic spider-type piezoelectric vibration energy harvester is proposed. By observing the movement of spiders in nature, we simulated their skeleton structure and constructed a model collection structure using three pairs of symmetrical flexible beams with rods corresponding to the pinholes. The displacement of the middle mass at the free end causes the substrate beam to bend and deform, thereby driving the piezoelectric element to generate voltage. The detailed descriptions of the design steps and principles is provided. We also developed a concentrated mass-spring model for theoretical analysis, which is verified through numerical simulation. We investigated the dynamics of the bionic piezoelectric energy harvester under swept frequency and harmonic excitation. The results demonstrated that the harvester experiences localized vibrations, including broadband high-frequency oscillations. We evaluated the energy harvesting performance of the harvester under different excitations in the frequency range of 108–115 Hz. At a frequency of 111 Hz and an acceleration of 1 g (=9.81 m/s2), the average power output is 0.63 mW. The maximum power output of 5.66 mW can be achieved at an excitation acceleration of 3 g and an operating condition of 111.5 Hz.

Design and performance analysis of 3-D braided piezoelectric composite vibration energy harvester

In this article, an innovative three-dimensional (3-D) braided piezoelectric composite vibration energy harvester (BPCVEH) is designed. The geometry and representative volume unit (RVU) models of the 3-D braided piezoelectric composites (BPCs) are established based on the braided process. The effective elastic, piezoelectric, and dielectric constants of the 3-D BPCs are also predicted. The electro-mechanical coupling vibration equation of the 3-D BPCVEH under forced vibration is derived, and its output response and vibration mode are analyzed. The effects of environment frequency, load resistance, and external excitation acceleration on the voltage and power response of 3-D BPCVEH with different volume fractions are studied.

Frequency Response for Sweep-Up and Sweep-Down of Piezoelectric Energy Harvester

PurposeThe aim of this work is to study the frequency response of linear and nonlinear piezoelectric vibration energy harvester (pVEH) based on Duffing-type nonlinearity and Kirchhoff’s law, and the effect of the effective electromechanical coupling on the frequency response of nonlinear pVEH.MethodsThe analytical technique based on the harmonic balance method (HBM) is used to obtain the mechanical and electrical frequency responses of linear and nonlinear pVEH, and the Jacobian matrix is used to analyze the solutions’ stability. The Runge–Kutta fourth-order method as a numerical technique is used to solve the ordinary differential equations of pVEH.ResultsThe analytical calculations are completed, and the frequency response solution of displacement of pVEH is contained in real and complex values and those of electrical responses are presented. The harmonic balance results are compared with numerical simulations for various hardening nonlinear springs. Simple analytical expressions for the jump points are suggested for the sweep-up and sweep-down frequencies of pVEH.ConclusionsThe analytical analysis shows that the jump-down frequency ratios have definite behaviors for each low and high effective electromechanical coupling of hardening-nonlinear pVEHs. Moreover, the jump-up frequency ratio is directly proportional to the effective electromechanical coupling of hardening nonlinear pVEHs.