Optimization of a vibration absorber with piezoelectric energy harvesting capabilities

Vibration represents a real issue in many engineering fields and the consequences go from discomfort to catastrophic events. To guarantee structural reliability, enhanced comfort and cost savings vibration absorbers have been intensively studied: they reduce the vibration by transferring and dissipating mechanical energy. However, a new trend is rather to convert and not dissipate the energy e.g. converting mechanical-to-electrical energy. Low powered sensors, as those employed for structural health monitoring (SHM), are normally supplied by batteries that require periodic replacement. In the recent years the field of energy harvesting has received great attention: smart materials as piezoelectric transducers can be used for energy conversion to autonomously supply sensors for SHM. This work presents the optimization of a vibration absorber that integrates piezoelectric transducers for energy conversion, bringing together two promising and innovative research areas: vibration reduction and energy harvesting. An integrated device allows for simultaneous improvement of structural reliability and autonomous sensors supply for SHM, playing a fundamental role in modern engineering.