Experimental Study on Waste Heat Energy Harvesting using Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT-5H) Pyroelectric Ceramics

Thermal energy harvesting using the pyroelectric effect is becoming a prominent area of research. In the present study, an experimental investigation was performed using PbZrxTi1-xO3 (PZT-5H) ceramics, and hot/cold oil baths were used to create a continuous temporal temperature profile. The hot and cold bath temperatures were 120 degrees C and 25 degrees C, respectively. The maximum generated voltage was 11.56 V across load capacitance of 10 mu F (without load resistance) in 180s time. The maximum power obtained was 5.81W for a 4.7 mu F load capacitance and 5 M Omega load resistance.