A piezoelectric energy harvesting from the vibration of the airflow around a moving vehicle

Abstract

In this study, an energy harvester using the mechanical vibrations created by the airflow on piezoelectric transducers outside a vehicle was designed, produced and introduced. The introduced harvester has an energy production potential of μJ level. Given an energy power, very little power but long-term harvest was achieved. While the introduced vehicle was driven at speeds of 70, 90, and 110 km/h, energy production at location angles of 0 , 45 , and 90 was determined for each speed. Vehicle speed, location angle, airflow outside the vehicle, and harvester output were measured. Output voltage of the harvester was found to be directly proportional to vehicle speed. Output of the transducers was combined using a circuit topology that would maximize the output voltage. Thanks to this circuit highest output voltage was obtained from the location angle of 0. Thus, maximum output power was obtained at a speed of 110 km/h for 0 location angle. This research develops a new design method for efficient and practical energy generated by piezoelectric sensors placed on a vehicle from the vibration of the airflow around a moving vehicle. This energy harvester can meet the internal micro energy needs of the vehicle with an external battery.

Mechanical energy harvesting in traffic environment and its application in smart transportation

“…Akkaya Oy [121] installed an array of film type PZTs in bumper air intakes to generate energy by using the air flow around the body. Nurmanova et al [122] proposed to install a wind power generation system on the roof of train, the power of the wind is converted into mechanical energy of the blades, which in turn rotate shaft of the turbine.…”

“…According to the difference of excitation displacement generated by road interaction, different technical routes are developed to harvest vehicle kinetic energy as shown in figure 10. [86] Wheel hub TENG 22.3 mW Tire condition monitoring Akkaya Oy [121] Vehicle bumper Piezoelectric 9.9 mW The vehicle tracking GPS module is self-powered Chaudhary [132] Rear wing Electromagnetic wind turbine…”

Intelligent Device for Harvesting the Vibration Energy of the Automobile Exhaust with a Piezoelectric Generator

“…The technology used in collecting the energy loss of each part of the automobile body is important to the development of the automobile industry in that it improves the energy efficiency and fuel economy of automobiles. In the process of driving, the released heat, braking energy, and vibration energy are the main targets of energy collection technology [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. As an important part of the automobile chassis, the exhaust system produces a lot of vibration because it is connected to the engine and must exhaust the exhaust gas [ 10 ].…”

Investigation of a Novel Ultra-Low-Frequency Rotational Energy Harvester Based on a Double-Frequency Up-Conversion Mechanism

“…Energy harvesters, as emerging energy supply devices, leverage various mechanisms, such as piezoelectric [ 1 , 2 , 3 ], electromagnetic [ 4 , 5 ], triboelectric [ 6 , 7 ], and photovoltaic [ 8 , 9 ] effects, to convert mechanical energy, wind energy, solar energy, and other forms of ambient energy into electrical energy for external output. Among them, piezoelectric energy harvesters [ 10 , 11 , 12 ] have been employed in widespread applications due to their simple structure [ 13 , 14 ], long lifespan [ 15 , 16 ], and high adaptability [ 17 , 18 , 19 ] to environmental conditions. These devices operate by utilizing the mechanical energy obtained from the external environment to induce deformation in the internal piezoelectric material.…”