Optimal design of laminated piezocomposite energy harvesting devices considering stress constraints

Energy harvesting devices are smart structures capable of converting the mechanical energy (generally, in the form of vibrations) that would be wasted otherwise in the environment into usable electrical energy. Laminated piezoelectric plate and shell structures have been largely used in the design of these devices because of their large generation areas. The design of energy harvesting devices is complex, and they can be efficiently designed by using topology optimization methods (TOM). In this work, the design of laminated piezocomposite energy harvesting devices has been studied using TOM. The energy harvesting performance is improved by maximizing the effective electric power generated by the piezoelectric material, measured at a coupled electric resistor, when subjected to a harmonic excitation. However, harmonic vibrations generate mechanical stress distribution that, depending on the frequency and the amplitude of vibration, may lead to piezoceramic failure. This study advocates using a global stress constraint, which accounts for different failure criteria for different types of materials (isotropic, piezoelectric, and orthotropic). Thus, the electric power is maximized by optimally distributing piezoelectric material, by choosing its polarization sign, and by properly choosing the fiber angles of composite materials to satisfy the global stress constraint. In the TOM formulation, the Piezoelectric Material with Penalization and Polarization material model is applied to distribute piezoelectric material and to choose its polarization sign, and the Discrete Material Optimization method is applied to optimize the composite fiber orientation. The finite element method is adopted to model the structure with a piezoelectric multilayered shell element. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the proposed methodology. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Vibration energy harvesting using piezoelectric unimorph cantilevers with unequal piezoelectric and nonpiezoelectric lengths

We have examined a piezoelectric unimorph cantilever (PUC) with unequal piezoelectric and nonpiezoelectric lengths for vibration energy harvesting theoretically by extending the analysis of a PUC with equal piezoelectric and nonpiezoelectric lengths. The theoretical approach was validated by experiments. A case study showed that for a fixed vibration frequency, the maximum open-circuit induced voltage which was important for charge storage for later use occurred with a PUC that had a nonpiezoelectric-to-piezoelectric length ratio greater than unity, whereas the maximum power when the PUC was connected to a resistor for immediate power consumption occurred at a unity nonpiezoelectric-to-piezoelectric length ratio.     

Effect of subgrade on piezoelectric energy harvesting under traffic loads

Piezoelectric energy harvesting in roads generated by traffic loads was theoretically and experimentally investigated, and an indoor model of a layered road for piezoelectric transformation was developed using the traffic load model groove. Elastic double-layer beams resting on the subgrade soil were used to consider piezoelectric energy harvesting under traffic loads. Based on the vibration differential equations of elastic double-layer beams, the electromechanical equation was obtained using the Fourier transform. The experimental results of the piezoelectric energy harvesting were close to the theoretical ones, which indicated that the proposed method was useful in predicting piezoelectric energy harvesting from roads under traffic loads. The results also show that the influence of the transducer position on the output voltage and power should be considered, and that the thickness of the concrete panel and the condition of the subgrade soil can affect the output voltage and output power of the piezoelectric transducer. Moreover, the electrical energy was proportional to the vibration frequency and the excitation load.     

Double synchronized switch harvesting (DSSH): a new energy harvesting scheme for efficient energy extraction

This paper presents a new technique for optimized energy harvesting using piezoelectric microgenerators called double synchronized switch harvesting (DSSH). This technique consists of a nonlinear treatment of the output voltage of the piezoelectric element. It also integrates an intermediate switching stage that ensures an optimal harvested power whatever the load connected to the microgenerator. Theoretical developments are presented considering either constant vibration magnitude, constant driving force, or independent extraction. Then experimental measurements are carried out to validate the theoretical predictions. This technique exhibits a constant output power for a wide range of load connected to the microgenerator. In addition, the extracted power obtained using such a technique allows a gain up to 500% in terms of maximal power output compared with the standard energy harvesting method. It is also shown that such a technique allows a fine-tuning of the trade-off between vibration damping and energy harvesting.     

Z型梁结构压电式能量采集性能分析

振动能量采集能够将外部环境中的振动能转化为电能,具有绿色可持续、节能环保、设计灵活等优势,在工业、生物、医学、军事等领域具有广阔的应用前景.为使振动型能量采集器适应更为复杂多变的工作环境,提高其采集功率和工作频带,提出一种多梁结构-Z型梁结构压电式能量采集器.理论分析了该采集器的固有振动特性,并通过有限元分析了结构尺寸...     

Consideration of impedance matching techniques for efficient piezoelectric energy harvesting

This study investigates multiple levels of impedance-matching methods for piezoelectric energy harvesting in order to enhance the conversion of mechanical to electrical energy. First, the transduction rate was improved by using a high piezoelectric voltage constant (g) ceramic material having a magnitude of g33 = 40 x 10(-3) V m/N. Second, a transducer structure, cymbal, was optimized and fabricated to match the mechanical impedance of vibration source to that of the piezoelectric transducer. The cymbal transducer was found to exhibit approximately 40 times higher effective strain coefficient than the piezoelectric ceramics. Third, the electrical impedance matching for the energy harvesting circuit was considered to allow the transfer of generated power to a storage media. It was found that, by using the 10-layer ceramics instead of the single layer, the output current can be increased by 10 times, and the output load can be reduced by 40 times. Furthermore, by using the multilayer ceramics the output power was found to increase by 100%. A direct current (DC)-DC buck converter was fabricated to transfer the accumulated electrical energy in a capacitor to a lower output load. The converter was optimized such that it required less than 5 mW for operation.     

共振频率可调式非线性压电振动能量收集器

振动能量回收技术能够将环境中的机械振动能转换成电能,进而为微功耗装置供电,具有良好的应用前景。设计了一种利用压电材料的新型振动能量收集器,该机电耦合结构由一对非对称压电悬臂梁组成,悬臂梁末端固定有永磁体,利用永磁体产生的非线性力,实现了悬臂梁共振频率与外界激振频率的匹配调节。提出了该结构的理论模型,借助Matlab/Simulink数值分析软件对理论模型进行了仿真分析,并通过实验进行了验证。实验结果表明外界激励加速度幅值为3 m/s~2的时,结构即能实现较大频带范围内的频率匹配调节,频带范围不低于6.5Hz,最大回收功率不低于2 mW。     

Cymbal压电发电换能器有限元分析

通过建立Cymbal压电发电换能器的机电耦合有限元分析模型,计算分析了换能器结构参数对输出电压和谐振频率的影响以及外接负载对Cymbal换能器输出电压和输出功率的影响。研究表明,为了降低换能器的工作频率和提高换能器的输出电压,应增大换能器的空腔底部直径和减小换能器的空腔高度;在选择金属端冒和压电陶瓷厚度等参数时,应综合考虑换能器系统的刚度和外界振动源的频率特性和加速度特性;在任意一个频率点上,Cymbal换能器均存在一个最佳的外接负载,使得换能器的输出功率最大,而这个最佳的负载阻抗就等于Cymbal换能器在这个工作频率点上的输出阻抗。文中还提出并分析了基于外加预应力的多振子级联方式Cymbal压电发电换能器系统的结构。     

基于并联电感同步开关控制的振动能量回收方法研究

针对振动能量回收使用的并联电感同步开关(SSHI)控制方法研究中未考虑的控制损耗、储能负载和激励环境等问题,设计了一种基于电流监控、比较器、单片机和双向电子开关的低功耗回收控制电路。单片机通过比较器产生的中断信号控制双向开关适时闭合,成功实现了并联SSHI回收控制电路的功能。以储能装置为负载时,分析了整流电压、振子电容、激励幅值和频率对并联SSHI回收电路控制效果的影响,结果表明该方法在整流电压值较高、振子电容较大、激励频率较高、激励力较小时能够更有效地提高回收效率,为并联SSHI控制方法的应用奠定了一定的理论基础。     

Influence of pattern gradation on the design of piezocomposite energy harvesting devices using topology optimization

Piezoelectric materials can be used to convert oscillatory mechanical energy into electrical energy. Energy harvesting devices are designed to capture the ambient energy surrounding the electronics and convert it into usable electrical energy. The design of energy harvesting devices is not obvious, requiring optimization procedures. This paper investigates the influence of pattern gradation using topology optimization on the design of piezocomposite energy harvesting devices based on bending behavior. The objective function consists of maximizing the electric power generated in a load resistor. A projection scheme is employed to compute the element densities from design variables and control the length scale of the material density. Examples of two-dimensional piezocomposite energy harvesting devices are presented and discussed using the proposed method. The numerical results illustrate that pattern gradation constraints help to increase the electric power generated in a load resistor and guides the problem toward a more stable solution.     

三角形状压电振子压电特性分析与仿真

(压电振子的几何形状是影响其振动发电的重要因素之一。在相同压电材料体积下,三角形压电振子相比于矩形和梯形压电振子具有更大的发电能力。选用悬臂梁式三角形状压电振子作为研究对象,利用有限元分析软件ANSYS进行仿真研究。建立有限元模型;通过静力学和模态分析,研究压电振子的几何形状对其输出电压、固有频率的影响规律,然后在满足原来输出电压不下降的前提下对其进行尺寸优化,提高单位体积的发电能力。在相同边界条件和外力作用下,优化尺寸模型的体积是原来的0.94倍,输出电压是原来的1.03倍,取得了很好的优化效果。     

Polymer-based nanopiezoelectric generators for energy harvesting applications

Abstract

Energy harvesting from ambient vibrations originating from sources such as moving parts of machines, fluid flow and even body movement, has enormous potential for small power applications, such as wireless sensors, flexible, portable and wearable electronics, and bio-medical implants, to name a few. Nanoscale piezoelectric energy harvesters, also known as nanogenerators (NGs), can directly convert small scale ambient vibrations into electrical energy. Scavenging power from ubiquitous vibrations in this way offers an attractive route to provide power to small devices, which would otherwise require direct or indirect connection to electrical power infrastructure. Ceramics such as lead zirconium titanate and semiconductors such as zinc oxide are the most widely used piezoelectric energy harvesting materials. This review focuses on a different class of piezoelectric materials, namely, ferroelectric polymers, such as polyvinlyidene fluoride (PVDF) and its copolymers. These are potentially superior energy harvesting materials as they are flexible, robust, lightweight, easy and cheap to fabricate, as well as being lead free and biocompatible. We review some of the theoretical and experimental aspects of piezoelectric energy recovery using Polymer-based NGs with a novel emphasis on coupling to mechanical resonance, which is relevant for efficient energy harvesting from typically low frequency (<1 kHz) ambient vibrations. The realisation of highly efficient and low cost piezoelectric polymer NGs with reliable energy harvesting performance could lead to wide ranging energy solutions for the next generation of autonomous electronic and wireless devices.     

Nonlinear interface between the piezoelectric harvesting structure and the modulating circuit of an energy harvester with a real storage battery

This paper studies the performance of an energy harvester with a piezoelectric bimorph (PB) and a real electrochemical battery (ECB), both are connected as an integrated system through a rectified dc-dc converter (DDC). A vibrating PB can scavenge energy from the operating environment by the electromechanical coupling. A DDC can effectively match the optimal output voltage of the harvesting structure to the battery voltage. To raise the output power density of PB, a synchronized switch harvesting inductor (SSHI) is used in parallel with the harvesting structure to reverse the voltage through charge transfer between the output electrodes at the transition moments from closed-to open-circuit. Voltage reversal results in earlier arrival of rectifier conduction because the output voltage phases of any two adjacent closed-circuit states are just opposite each other. In principle, a PB is with a smaller, flexural stiffness under closed-circuit condition than under open-circuit condition. Thus, the PB subjected to longer closed-circuit condition will be easier to be accelerated. A larger flexural velocity makes the PB to deflect with larger amplitude, which implies that more mechanical energy will be converted into an electric one. Nonlinear interface between the vibrating PB and the modulating circuit is analyzed in detail, and the effects of SSHI and DDC on the charging efficiency of the storage battery are researched numerically. It was found that the introduction of a DDC in the modulating circuit and an SSHI in the harvesting structure can raise the charging efficiency by several times.     

压电振动能量收集装置研究现状及发展趋势

摘要：随着无线技术及微机电技术的日益发展,以化学电池为主的供能方式的弊端日渐显露,压电振动能量收集装置以其结构简单、清洁环保及易于微型化等诸多优点而得到了极大重视。本文从振动能量收集常用的压电材料及其压电性入手,从压电振动能量收集装置的结构设计和能量收集电路设计两方面对其进行阐述。在结构设计方面,以压电振动能量收集结构的方向性和响应频带为主线,详细介绍了国内外研究者在压电振动能量收集装置结构设计上的变化与创新;在能量收集电路设计方面,以能量收集效率的提高为主线,介绍了电路结构的优化改进。最后,总结了压电振动能量收集装置未来的研究趋势和方向,为从事压电振动能量收集研究的人员提供参考。     

Dielectric and piezoelectric properties of CeO2-added nonstoichiometric (Na0.5K0.5)0.97(Nb0.96Sb0.04)O3 ceramics for piezoelectric energy harvesting device applications

In this study, nonstoichiometric (Na(0.5)K(0.5))(0.97)(Nb(0.96)Sb(0.04))O(3) ceramics were fabricated and their dielectric and piezoelectric properties were investigated according to the CeO(2) addition. In this ceramic composition, CeO(2) addition improved sinterability, electromechanical coupling factor k(p), mechanical quality factor Q(m), piezoelectric constant d(33), and g(33). At the sintering temperature of 1100°C, for the 0.2wt% CeO(2) added specimen, the optimum values of density = 4.359 g/cm(3), k(p) = 0.443, Q(m) = 588, ε(r) = 444, d(33) = 159 pC/N, and g(33) = 35 × 10(-3) V·m/N, were obtained. A piezoelectric energy harvesting device using 0.2 wt% CeO(2)- added lead-free (K(0.5)Na(0.5))(0.97)(Nb(0.96)Sb(0.04))O(3) ceramics and a rectifying circuit for energy harvesting were fabricated and their electrical characteristics were investigated. Under an external vibration acceleration of 0.7 g, when the mass, the frequency of vibration generator, and matching load resistance were 2.4 g, 70 Hz, and 721 Ω, respectively, output voltage and power of piezoelectric harvesting device indicated the optimum values of 24.6 mV(rms) and 0.839 μW, respectively-suitable for application as the electric power source of a ubiquitous sensor network (USN) sensor node.     

Toward energy harvesting using active materials and conversion improvement by nonlinear processing

This paper presents a new technique of electrical energy generation using mechanically excited piezoelectric materials and a nonlinear process. This technique, called synchronized switch harvesting (SSH), is derived from the synchronized switch damping (SSD), which is a nonlinear technique previously developed to address the problem of vibration damping on mechanical structures. This technique results in a significant increase of the electromechanical conversion capability of piezoelectric materials. Comparatively with standard technique, the electrical harvested power may be increased above 900%. The performance of the nonlinear processing is demonstrated on structures excited at their resonance frequency as well as out of resonance.     

Electromechanical modeling and analytical investigation of nonlinearities in energy harvesting piezoelectric beams

Piezoelectric materials are extensively applied for vibrational energy harvesting especially in micro-scale devices where other energy conversion mechanisms such as electromagnetic and electrostatic methods encounter fabrication limitations. A cantilevered piezoelectric bimorph beam with an attached proof (tip) mass for the sake of resonance frequency reduction is the most common structure in vibrational harvesters. According to the amplitude and frequency of applied excitations and physical parameters of the harvester, the system may be pushed into a nonlinear regime which arises from material or geometric nonlinearities. In this study nonlinear dynamics of a piezoelectric bimorph harvester implementing constitutive relations of nonlinear piezoelectricity together with nonlinear curvature and shortening effect relations, is investigated. To achieve this goal first of all a comprehensive fully-coupled electromechanical nonlinear model is presented through a variational approach. The governing nonlinear partial differential equations of the proposed model are order reduced and solved by means of the perturbation method of multiple scales. Results are presented for a PZT/Silicon/PZT laminated beam as a case study. Findings indicate that material nonlinearities of the PZT layer has the dominant effect leading to softening behavior of the frequency response. At the primary resonance, different frequency responses of the extracted power can be distinguished according to the excitation amplitude, which is due to harmonic generation as a result of piezoelectric nonlinearity. The extracted power is analytically computed and validated with a good agreement by a numerical solution.     

Optimal electromechanical bandgaps in piezo-embedded mechanical metamaterials

Elastic mechanical metamaterials are the exemplar of periodic structures. These are artificially designed structures having idiosyncratic physical properties like negative mass and negative Young’s modulus in specific frequency ranges. These extreme physical properties are due to the spatial periodicity of mechanical unit cells, which exhibit local resonance. That is why scientists are researching the dynamics of these structures for decades. This unusual dynamic behavior is frequency contingent, which modulates wave propagation through these structures. Locally resonant units in the designed metamaterial facilitate bandgap formation virtually at any frequency for wavelengths much higher than the lattice length of a unit. Here, we analyze the band structure of piezo-embedded negative mass metamaterial using the generalized Bloch theorem. For a finite number of the metamaterial units coupled equation of motion of the system is deduced, considering purely resistive and shunted inductor energy harvesting circuits. Successively, the voltage and power produced by piezoelectric material along with transmissibility of the system are computed using the backward substitution method. The addition of the piezoelectric material at the resonating unit increases the complexity of the solution. The results elucidate, the insertion of the piezoelectric material in the resonating unit provides better tunability in the band structure for simultaneous energy harvesting and vibration attenuation. Non-dimensional analysis of the system gives physical parameters that govern the formation of mechanical and electromechanical bandgaps. Optimized numerical values of these system parameters are also found for maximum first attenuation bandwidth. Thus, broader bandgap generation enhances vibration attenuation, and energy harvesting can be simultaneously available, making these structures multifunctional. This exploration can be considered as a step towards the active elastic mechanical metamaterials design.

     

A flex-compressive-mode piezoelectric transducer for mechanical vibration/strain energy harvesting

A piezoelectric transducer for harvesting energy from ambient mechanical vibrations/strains under pressure condition was developed. The proposed transducer was made of two ring-type piezoelectric stacks, one pair of bow-shaped elastic plates, and one shaft that pre-compresses them. This transducer works in flex-compressive (F-C) mode, which is different from a conventional flex-tensional (F-T) one, to transfer a transversely applied force F into an amplified longitudinal force N pressing against the two piezo-stacks via the two bowshaped elastic plates, generating a large electric voltage output via piezoelectric effect. Our experimental results show that without an electric load, an F-C mode piezo-transducer could generate a maximum electric voltage output of up to 110 Vpp, and with an electric load of 40 κΩ, it a maximum power output of 14.6 mW under an acceleration excitation of 1 g peak-peak at the resonance frequency of 87 Hz.