Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting using Single Crystal Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O 3-xPbTiO3 (PMN-PT) Device

We present the analytical and experimental studies of a piezoelectric energy harvesting device that can be used as a standalone energy source for powering microsensors and electronics. Single crystal piezoelectric Pb(Mg1/3 Nb2/3)O3-xPbTiO3 (PMN-PT) with large electromechanical coupling coefficient was employed for device design and fabrication in this study. An analytical model for estimating the power-harvesting performance was derived for a cantilever-mounted aluminum alloy plate with a PMN-PT device bonded near the clamped end and a proof mass at the other end. Considering the plate was subjected to both a steady-state sinusoidal vibration and a pulse impact excitation, static, and dynamic analyses were performed for device structure to achieve efficient energy harvesting. In the static analysis, the effect of geometrical dimension of piezoelectric device on the energy harvesting performance has been discussed. In the dynamic analysis, transient response of the device subjected to a pulse impact excitation was studied using a single degree of freedom system model. The resonance characteristics and the power generation capability of the device were discussed. Based on the analytical results, a cantilever device was fabricated and evaluated with sinusoidal excitation and impact excitation. The results are applicable for the structural design of piezoelectric energy harvesting devices.

[1]  Paul K. Wright,et al.  Alternative Geometries for Increasing Power Density in Vibration Energy Scavenging for Wireless Sensor Networks , 2005 .

[2]  J. Gardner,et al.  Microsensors: Principles and Applications , 1994 .

[3]  R. Haftka,et al.  Uncertainty-based Design Optimization of a Micro Piezoelectric Composite Energy Reclamation Device , 2004 .

[4]  Xingzhong Zhao,et al.  Energy harvesting with piezoelectric drum transducer , 2007 .

[5]  Anna Hać,et al.  Wireless Sensor Network Designs , 2003 .

[6]  Massood Tabib-Azar,et al.  Microactuators: Electrical, Magnetic, Thermal, Optical, Mechanical, Chemical & Smart Structures , 1997 .

[7]  Daniel J. Inman,et al.  An experimental comparison between several active composite actuators for power generation , 2006 .

[8]  W. Thomson.  Theory of vibration with applications , 1965 .

[9]  Wei-Hsin Liao,et al.  Sensitivity Analysis and Energy Harvesting for a Self-Powered Piezoelectric Sensor , 2005 .

[10]  D. Inman,et al.  Comparison of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Devices for Recharging Batteries , 2005 .

[11]  D. Markley,et al.  Energy Harvesting Using a Piezoelectric “Cymbal” Transducer in Dynamic Environment , 2004 .

[12]  Yi-Chung Shu,et al.  Analysis of power output for piezoelectric energy harvesting systems , 2006 .

[13]  David L. Churchill,et al.  Strain energy harvesting for wireless sensor networks , 2003, SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring.

[14]  Yuantai Hu,et al.  Performance of a piezoelectric harvester in thickness-stretch mode of a plate. , 2005, IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control.

[15]  C. Richards,et al.  Optimization of electromechanical coupling for a thin-film PZT membrane: II. Experiment , 2005 .

[16]  Richard B. Cass,et al.  Power Generation from Piezoelectric Lead Zirconate Titanate Fiber Composites , 2002 .

[17]  Qing-Ming Wang,et al.  Analysis of thin film piezoelectric microaccelerometer using analytical and finite element modeling , 2004 .

[18]  Y. Shu,et al.  Analysis of power output for piezoelectric energy harvesting systems , 2006 .

[19]  Song-Yul Choe,et al.  Modeling and analysis of a bimorph piezoelectric cantilever beam for voltage generation , 2007 .

[20]  S. Farritor,et al.  On low-frequency electric power generation with PZT ceramics , 2005, IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics.

[21]  Phillip J. Cornwell,et al.  Enhancing Power Harvesting using a Tuned Auxiliary Structure , 2005 .

[22]  Henry A. Sodano,et al.  A review of power harvesting using piezoelectric materials (2003–2006) , 2007 .

[23]  Zhi-Ren Zheng,et al.  Transient gain property of a weak probe field in an asymmetric semiconductor coupled double quantum well structure , 2007 .

[24]  Sung Han,et al.  Poly (vinylidene fluoride) transducers with highly conducting poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) electrodes , 2005 .