Impact-Enhanced Multi-Beam Piezoelectric Converter for Energy Harvesting in Autonomous Sensors

Ferrari, Maurizio; Baù, Marco; Cerini, Fabrizio; Ferrari, Vittorio

doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2012.09.173

Cited by 20 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Similar to what was described in [18], where a stopper was used to increase the output harvested energy, other designs (see for example [21,22]) use an impact technique applied to the piezoelectric layers by the ambient frequency, thus claiming that the frequency sensitivity is decreased. The ball impact harvester presented in [21] is a 6 DOF harvester device designed for human motion energy harvesting.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The ball impact harvester presented in [21] is a 6 DOF harvester device designed for human motion energy harvesting. The bimorph impactor developed and presented in [22] used two bimorphs with different end masses (therefore different natural frequencies) and connected by a driven beam. The impact between the two bimorphs and the driven beam increased the output power.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Analysis and Experimental Validation of a Piezoelectric Harvester with Enhanced Frequency Bandwidth

Abramovich

Har-nes

2018

Materials

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The use of a single bimorph as a harmonic oscillator aimed at harvesting vibrational energy is not effective due to its inherent narrow frequency bandwidth stemming from the need to adjust the natural frequency of the harvester to the platform excitation frequencies. Therefore, the present research focuses on the development, manufacturing, and testing of an advanced system based on three bimorphs, capable of adjusting their natural frequencies using tip end masses, and interconnected by springs, thus enlarging the system’s bandwidth. An analytical model was developed for three bimorphs interconnected by two springs with three end masses. The model can predict the output generated voltage from each bimorph, and then the total output power is measured on a given outside resistor as a function of the material properties, the geometric dimensions of the vibrating beams, the end-masses, and the spring constants. The analytical model was then compared with data in the literature, yielding a good correlation. To further increase the reliability of the model, a test set-up was designed and manufactured that included three bimorphs with three end-masses connected by two springs. The system was excited using a shaker, and the output voltage was measured for each bimorph for various configurations. Then, the analytical model was tuned based on the test results by introducing two factors, the quality and the stiffness factors, and the predictions of the calibrated analytical model were compared with the experimental results, yielding a good correlation. The calibrated analytical model was then used to perform a comprehensive parametric investigation for two and three bimorphs systems, in which the influences of various parameters—like spring constant, mass value, thickness, and width and length of the bimorph and the substrate beam—on the output generated power were investigated. The main conclusion from this parametric investigation was that by correctly choosing the geometric sizes of the cantilevers, the adequate tip end masses, and the ratio between constants of the springs, the frequency bandwidth is expanded yielding a higher harvested power. Typical harvested power of the present designed system can reach up to 20 mW at the first natural frequency and up to 5 mW for the second natural frequency.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis and Experimental Validation of a Piezoelectric Harvester with Enhanced Frequency Bandwidth

Abramovich

Har-nes

2018

Materials

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“…By reducing the dimensions, the resonant frequencies become generally higher than the typical environmental mechanical vibrations (lower than hundreds of hertz) [1]. To make the converters effective for broadband low-frequency vibrations, the exploitation of nonlinear frequency-up conversion mechanisms given by the impact of driving elements, such as low-frequency resonator beams, with piezoelectric elements has been reported [2][3][4]. In this work, compact ball-impact multi-Degree-of-Freedom (DoF) piezoelectric energy converters are presented which exploit a driving ball free to bounce among piezoelectric diaphragms arranged in a three-dimensional geometry.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The use of a driving ball allows to contain the size of the converter while maintaining the conversion effectiveness for low-frequency vibrations. The bouncing and impact of the driving ball with the diaphragms occur also for rotations and small inclinations of the converters, allowing implementations not achievable with impact solutions based on driving flexure elements [2]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ball-impact Piezoelectric Converter for Multi-degree-of-freedom Energy Harvesting from Broadband Low-frequency Vibrations in Autonomous Sensors

Alghisi

Dalola

Ferrari

et al. 2014

Procedia Engineering

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“…Strategies to increase the operational frequency range of vibration harvesters have been proposed in [3]. Recently, frequency-up conversion techniques based on impact, which allow to shift low-frequency mechanical vibration toward the higher resonance frequencies of the converters, have been investigated in [4,5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Autonomous sensor module powered by impact-enhanced energy harvester from broadband low-frequency vibrations

Ferrari

Cerini

Ferrari

2013

2013 Transducers &Amp; Eurosensors XXVII: The 17th International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems

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This work proposes and experimentally validates an autonomous battery-less sensor module based on off-theshelf electronics powered by a multi-beam piezoelectric energy converter that exploits impact to widen the harvesting bandwidth at low frequency.The module manages the converted energy, interfaces two sensors and periodically sends the measurement signals over a radio-frequency (RF) link. The architecture and principle have been experimentally validated on a fabricated proof-of-concept prototype. The solution that exploits impact increases the overall rms output voltage of the converter of up to 35% and widens the useful bandwidth toward lower frequencies of up to 50% over the no-impact condition at parity of mechanical excitation.In the tested experimental conditions, the prototype features a typical time interval between measurement-andtransmission events of a few seconds, with event durations of the order of tens of milliseconds, corresponding to an operation duty cycle of about 1%. The average power consumption during transmission is of the order of 35 mW with an operative range of 25 m in laboratory environment. KEYWORDSAutonomous sensor module, impact-enhanced energy harvesting, broadband low-frequency vibrations.

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Impact-Enhanced Multi-Beam Piezoelectric Converter for Energy Harvesting in Autonomous Sensors

Cited by 20 publications

References 5 publications

Analysis and Experimental Validation of a Piezoelectric Harvester with Enhanced Frequency Bandwidth

Analysis and Experimental Validation of a Piezoelectric Harvester with Enhanced Frequency Bandwidth

Ball-impact Piezoelectric Converter for Multi-degree-of-freedom Energy Harvesting from Broadband Low-frequency Vibrations in Autonomous Sensors

Autonomous sensor module powered by impact-enhanced energy harvester from broadband low-frequency vibrations

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