Piezoelectric energy harvester for low engine vibrations: Fid-Bau Portal

Piezoelectric energy harvester for low engine vibrations

Khalatkar, A. M. / Gupta, V. K.

Piezoelectric materials are well known for their use as sensors and actuators in flexible structures. Researchers have also focused on harvesting energy from the waste vibrations generated by different sources using piezoelectric materials. In its running condition, an engine generates vibrations. These vibrations can be converted into electric energy by using a suitable energy harvester. The minute energy generated from these waste vibrations can be used as an additional source to batteries or a resource to run sensors and actuators in automotive vehicles. This paper focuses on harvesting energy from engine vibrations using a piezoelectric cantilever beam. The power from these vibrations has been enhanced even at low vibrations. A mathematical equation for the estimation of voltage and power using a piezoelectric cantilever beam has been derived. The effect of excitation frequency, amplitude, and material properties on power output has been considered. Based on the simulation results, a piezoelectric cantilever beam is designed and fabricated, and experiments are conducted. Analytical results are validated with the experimental results, and a close match has been observed between the experimental and analytical results.