Energy generation based on piezoelectric transducers

Abstract

Abstract. In this paper, the design, implementation and testing of a prototype for electric energy generation from collecting wasted ambient power sources coming from the mechanic vibrations (Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting PEH) is presented. This prototype has been specifically designed for applications where it is required to connect multiple transducers in order to obtain greater power levels. This design is based on a previous comparative analysis among all the existing auto-harvesting circuits. The prototype has been tested both in laboratory tests as in real field trials on board railway units, with encouraging results. It has been proved that, though achieving power levels of a few milliwatts, its application in the autonomous low-consumption devices powering systems field is a real possibility.

A New Approach for Impedance Tracking of Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvesters Based on a Zeta Converter

“…Energy harvesters based on electromagnetic, piezoelectric, electrostatic, or electrochemical principles have been developed in the last few years to convert vibrations into electric power, which can be instantly used or stored. Among them, much attention is now being paid to piezoelectric devices, because the piezoelectric effect, based on the ability of some crystals to generate an electromotive force when subjected to a mechanical stress, makes it possible to recover residual mechanical energy from many sources, such as human motion, machine vibrations, acoustic noises, and thermal waste [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. These piezoelectric devices can be used in several applications, taking advantage of their ability to work as either sensors or actuators [ 11 , 12 ].…”

Optimizing Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting from Mechanical Vibration for Electrical Efficiency: A Comprehensive Review

“…Based on a vibration energy harvester (energy transduction) method, there are three primary methods for converting mechanical vibrational energy into electrical energy. These are electrostatic, electromagnetic, and piezoelectric [12,70].…”

“…The concept behind vibrational energy harvesting is to convert vibrations into electrical energy through sequential conversion steps: initially, the kinetic energy of the vibrations is transformed into relative motion between components using mechanical-to-mechanical converters like the mass-spring mechanism. Subsequently, this relative motion is converted into power through mechanical-to-electrical converters, such as piezoelectric materials or variable capacitors [10][11][12].…”