Dynamic Analysis and Energy Harvesting Potential of Slitted Cantilever Beam Fitted with Piezoelectric Transducer

Abstract

This research investigates how slitted beams fitted with piezoelectric transducers (PZTs) behave when generating energy from environmental vibrations. By changing slit widths, slit lengths, and tip masses, we investigated the frequency response of these beams using analytical methods and finite element analysis (FEA). The obtained results demonstrate that resonance peaks are brought closer together, and coupling between vibrational modes is enhanced by larger slit spacing, whether or not anti-resonance dips are present, though the magnitudes of these peaks are affected by the width of the slits. The possibility of energy harvesting can be enhanced when resonance peaks are shifted and amplified by heavier tip masses. The FEA results support the analytical model, showing other characteristics such as sharp dips or anti-resonance troughs. This work provides valuable information for future design improvements by highlighting the significance of optimizing slit parameters and tip masses to enhance the efficiency of piezoelectric energy harvesters. This study demonstrates the benefits of using slitted beams with piezoelectric energy harvesting and provides recommendations for their efficient design.