An autonomous low-power management system for energy harvesting from a miniaturized spherical piezoelectric transducer

Abstract

A new spherical vibrational energy harvesting device with an additional low power management circuit for optimizing the power transfer from the mechanical vibrations to a storage capacitor is presented. The device is devoted to underwater wireless sensor network applications due to its broadband vibrational energy harvesting, sensing, and communicating facilities. The sensing node container consists of two acrylic glass (PMMA) half-spherical shells and a Pz26 piezoelectric ring clamped between the shells. The energy harvesting, the management circuit, and communication electronics were fitted within the hollow portion of the sphere. A simulation model of the energy extraction and management system using SPICE has been developed. This simulation shows the feasibility and efficiency of the low power extraction circuit; a level of the necessary stored voltage was set at 3 V. The numerical model was validated by underwater experimental measurements; a voltage of 3 V was obtained at the terminals of a storage capacitor (47 µF) which was sufficient to supply the communication electronics. Power harvesting performances were measured relative to the transmitter/sensor distance and the incident acoustical field excitation voltage. Finally, 175 µW of harvested power has been measured with an excitation voltage of 8 Vpp at 5 cm distance from the emitter.

Objective Assessment of Covid-19 Severity Affecting the Vocal and Respiratory System Using a Wearable, Autonomous Sound Collar

“…The electrical module (Fig. 3 ), an autonomous system integrating scheduling tasks and a transfer functionality, converts vibratory mechanical energy 15 into electrical energy to satisfy the energy needs of the hard and soft modules of the collar.

Figure 3 Architecture of the real-time electrical unit comprising the central scheduling tasks, sensor management, and wireless communication module.

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“…The electrical module (Fig. 3), an autonomous system integrating scheduling tasks and a transfer functionality, converts vibratory mechanical energy 15 into electrical energy to satisfy the energy needs of the hard and soft modules of the collar.…”

Development of renewable energy system for low power underwater devices

“…The system generated a maximum voltage of 10 volts in open circuit. Diab et al [13] using tiny sphere-shaped piezoelectric transducer designed a low-cost energy harvesting system. The model is implemented through simulation with stored voltage result of 3 volt is measured; however, no experimental work is done using actual device.…”

Radial vibration analysis for piezoceramic shell-stacked spherical transducer with thick walls

“…Compared with the longitudinal * Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed. and cylindrical piezoelectric ceramic transducers, the spherical piezoelectric ceramic transducer, as a special kind of transducer, can realize omnidirectional radiation and resist higher pressures, arousing considerable research interests during the past decades [13][14][15][16][17][18]. Kim et al presented the vibration performance of a piezoelectric ceramic spherical ultrasonic transducer and discussed the relationship between the radius and thickness of the piezoelectric sphere and the frequency [19].…”