Mechanically coupled cantilever beam structure for piezoelectric energy harvesting

Abstract

In this paper, we report a wideband energy harvester where mechanical coupling of the cantilever beams in cascaded configuration employed using long and thin spring like structures to couple individual harvesters. The outcomes of designing uni-beam, dual-beam, tri-beam, and quad-beam coupled energy harvesters are compared using COMSOL as well as experimentally. Simulation results indicated that quad-beam coupled energy harvesters had a bandwidth of 10.87 Hz. Physical devices were fabricated in Silicon and tested using PVDF-TrFE piezoelectric material and showed a bandwidth enhancement from 0.7 to 8.9 MHz. The coupling scheme may be extended to larger arrays to increase bandwidth further as per requirements.

Development and Optimization of a Two-Degree-of-Freedom Piezoelectric Harvester Based on Parallel Cantilever Structure With Magnetic Coupling

“…The magnetic force that dipole B produces on dipole A is obtained from potential energy as follows (4) [44]. Substituting ( 2) and ( 3) into (4), thus the force expression can be derived as (5).…”

“…So, it has become one of the current research emphases of energy harvester. Based on different working principles, vibration energy harvesters are usually divided into electromagnetic [1], electrostatic [2], triboelectric [3], magnetostrictive [4], and piezoelectric [5] forms. In these categories, piezoelectric vibration energy harvester (PVEH) has attracted keen attention because of its significant advantages, such as high energy density, strong electromechanical coupling, simple structure, and easy integration [6]- [8].…”

Fluid Flow to Electricity: Capturing Flow-Induced Vibrations with Micro-Electromechanical-System-Based Piezoelectric Energy Harvester

“…In this context, the development of micro-electromechanical system (MEMS)-based energy harvesters, which are capable of transforming kinetic energy from environmental forces like wind into electrical power, signifies a critical breakthrough [7,8]. Harvesters employing cantilever beams equipped with piezoelectric films excel in harnessing kinetic energy from diverse sources, including vibration, gravitational forces, and wind [9][10][11][12][13]. Additionally, the piezoelectric energy harvesting method, compared to electromagnetic and triboelectric energy harvesting methods, has the advantage of easier miniaturization through MEMS processes and is less affected by external conditions such as dust and humidity [14,15].…”