Towards a miniaturized, impulse-excited piezoelectric energy harvesting device
Abstract
We present an electromechanical energy harvester based on the piezoelectric effect. The piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) consists of PZT materials glued on a cantilever with tipmass. Using this setup, the mechanical energy of ambient vibration is converted into electrical energy. It is possible to define an optimized height profile of the cantilever for maximum power output by analytical methods. This geometry is approximated by a linear profile for manufacturing purposes. We verify our experimental results with finite element (FE) simulations. To make this harvesting technique suitable for various applications, it has to be miniaturized. We measure, simulate and compare power outputs of a tailored harvester with respect to different electrical loads.
