Fabrication and Characterization of Vibration and Wind Energy Harvesters Using Multilayer Free-Standing Piezoelectric Thick Films

Fabrication and Characterization of Vibration and Wind Energy Harvesters Using Multilayer Free-Standing Piezoelectric Thick Films

Článek Scopus

This article demonstrates the feasibility of fabricating energy harvesters based on piezoelectric cantilevers with a free-standing thick-film structure. Demonstrator devices have been designed, built, and evaluated in a range of mechanical coupling configurations to harvest energy from machinery vibrations and weak air flow. In terms of wideband vibration energy harvesters, arrays of the individual harvesters were assembled onto plastic test circuit boards integrated with diode bridge rectifiers. The harvesters were designed with different dimensions, and various tip masses were attached on the tip of the cantilevers to individually tune the resonant frequencies. The assembled harvesters were tested under harmonic vibration conditions. Great potential of harvesting vibration energy and broadening working bandwidth has been exhibited. In terms of the harvester for weak air flow, two individual cantilever devices were assembled on the chassis of a free-spinning fan. Permanent magnets were fixed on the blades of the fan as well as on the cantilevers. The device was tested in an open fluidic environment. The air flow was successfully transferred to axial oscillations, thus driving the cantilevers bending up and down. Possibilities of such devices being optimized to meet the requirements of real applications of self-powered wireless sensor networks can be foreseen.

This article demonstrates the feasibility of fabricating energy harvesters based on piezoelectric cantilevers with a free-standing thick-film structure. Demonstrator devices have been designed, built, and evaluated in a range of mechanical coupling configurations to harvest energy from machinery vibrations and weak air flow. In terms of wideband vibration energy harvesters, arrays of the individual harvesters were assembled onto plastic test circuit boards integrated with diode bridge rectifiers. The harvesters were designed with different dimensions, and various tip masses were attached on the tip of the cantilevers to individually tune the resonant frequencies. The assembled harvesters were tested under harmonic vibration conditions. Great potential of harvesting vibration energy and broadening working bandwidth has been exhibited. In terms of the harvester for weak air flow, two individual cantilever devices were assembled on the chassis of a free-spinning fan. Permanent magnets were fixed on the blades of the fan as well as on the cantilevers. The device was tested in an open fluidic environment. The air flow was successfully transferred to axial oscillations, thus driving the cantilevers bending up and down. Possibilities of such devices being optimized to meet the requirements of real applications of self-powered wireless sensor networks can be foreseen.

Piezoelectric, energy harvesting, vibration, wind, thick film, free-standing

Piezoelectric, energy harvesting, vibration, wind, thick film, free-standing

BAI, Y.; HUGHES, H.; TOFEL, P.; MEGGS, C.; BUTTON, T.

2017

01.10.2015

1551-4897

Journal of Microelectronics and Electronic Packaging

12

4

Spojené státy americké

181

188

8