A piezoelectric energy harvester using an arc-shaped piezoelectric cantilever beam array

The piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) has shown important practical value in numerous fields including, but not limited to communication, transportation, and military industrialization. However, the efficiency of piezoelectric energy harvesting is greatly limited due to its narrow frequency bandwidth. To harvest the vibration energy from a wider frequency range, this paper proposes a variant power generator array that is designed by using an arc-shaped piezoelectric cantilever beam (APCB) array. Five APCBs with different radii are arrayed parallel to each other with the energy harvesting circuit being connected in continuum by a rectifier bridge. The mathematical model and values of the APCB are depicted in this paper so to elucidate its low stiffness characteristic. The finite element analysis of the APCB is similarly recorded and the simulation result indicated that the APCB have better output performance than the corresponding flat-plat piezoelectric cantilever beam (FPCB). In addition, output voltage of the APCB can be increased while increasing the resonance frequency by increasing the width. Finally, the result of finite element simulation shows that the piezoelectric energy harvester using five APCBs arrayed in parallel series can be 14 times more efficient than that of the PEH with single APCB.

Automated summary

This paper proposes a method to harvest vibration energy from a wider frequency range using an arc-shaped piezoelectric cantilever beam array and verifies its superior output performance compared to traditional flat-plate piezoelectric cantilever beams.