Pyroelectric Harvesting Research Articles

Pyroelectric materials and devices for energy harvesting applications

This review covers energy harvesting technologies associated with pyroelectric materials and systems. Such materials have the potential to generate electrical power from thermal fluctuations and is a less well explored form of thermal energy harvesting than thermoelectric systems. The pyroelectric effect and potential thermal and electric field cycles for energy harvesting are explored. Materials of interest are discussed and pyroelectric architectures and systems that can be employed to improve device performance, such as frequency and power level, are described. In addition to the solid materials employed, the appropriate pyroelectric harvesting circuits to condition and store the electrical power are discussed.

Improving Pyroelectric Energy Harvesting Using a Sandblast Etching Technique

Large amounts of low-grade heat are emitted by various industries and exhausted into the environment. This heat energy can be used as a free source for pyroelectric power generation. A three-dimensional pattern helps to improve the temperature variation rates in pyroelectric elements by means of lateral temperature gradients induced on the sidewalls of the responsive elements. A novel method using sandblast etching is successfully applied in fabricating the complex pattern of a vortex-like electrode. Both experiment and simulation show that the proposed design of the vortex-like electrode improved the electrical output of the pyroelectric cells and enhanced the efficiency of pyroelectric harvesting converters. A three-dimensional finite element model is generated by commercial software for solving the transient temperature fields and exploring the temperature variation rate in the PZT pyroelectric cells with various designs. The vortex-like type has a larger temperature variation rate than the fully covered type, by about 53.9%.The measured electrical output of the vortex-like electrode exhibits an obvious increase in the generated charge and the measured current, as compared to the fully covered electrode, by of about 47.1% and 53.1%, respectively.

A Fabrication for Ameliorating Pyroelectric Harvesting Converters

A three-dimensional pattern is helpful to improve the temperature variation rates in pyroelectric elements, using lateral temperature gradients induced on the sidewalls of the responsive elements. Creating a complex pattern with a deep trench structure for fitting various discharges of waste heat was imperative, and hard to fabricate, using the traditional methods of dry/wet etching and a dicing saw. A novel method using sandblast etching was successful in fabricating the complex pattern of the vortex-like electrode for improving the electrical output and enhancing the efficiency of the PZT pyroelectric harvesting converters.