Charge Redistribution in Flextensional Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters

Abstract:

Harvesting ambient wasted energy has been in recent years a prominent research endeavor, aimed at providing alternative energy sources for low-power electronic mobile devices. Among various solutions, piezoelectric energy harvesters have attracted major attention due to the scalability, high-efficiency and the universal presence of vibration sources. In this paper, we studied the charge redistribution phenomenon in piezoelectric energy harvesters employing flextensional structures numerically and experimentally. A finite element model was developed firstly to study the mechanical and electrical response of flextensional transducers. The simulation results were then validated by a corresponding experiment. The research reveals that energy is dissipated in the process that charge flows from the high potential region to the low potential region. The electrode shape has a significant effect on the efficiency, and therefore should be considered fully when designing new energy harvesters. This study also assists in the design of flextensional sensors and actuators.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 598)
• Pages: 322-326
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.598.322
• Online since: July 2014
• Authors: Zheng Bao Yang*, Jean Zu
• Keywords: Cymbal, Electrode, Energy Harvester, Flextensional Transducer, Piezoelectric

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