Demonstration of wide bandwidth energy harvesting from vibrations

We experimentally demonstrate a true wide bandwidth vibration energy harvester based on piezoelectric transduction. Our device is designed to work specifically off-resonance under sinusoidal input vibrations with constant displacement amplitudes. The same device displays wide bandwidth operation under vibrations with constant acceleration amplitudes. We have achieved over 6 nW of wide bandwidth power extraction per active piezoelectric patch between 80-180 Hz for constant 100 mu m displacement amplitude, and across 20-90 Hz for constant 3g acceleration amplitude. Simulation of the micro-harvester with optimally fabricated piezoelectric material demonstrates over 1 mu W of power across the same frequencies, enabling a fully integrated, self-powered wireless sensor node.