Ensuring system reliability of a piezoelectric energy harvester

Piezoelectric energy harvesters enable the energy supply for autonomous operating sensor systems environments with vibration. Models are needed for a suitable system design. On the one hand in order to ensure the functionality of such a system, the relation between mission profile and electrical energy supply needs to be described. On the other hand the mission profile implies a reliability risk for the harvester. Both aspects do have a trade-off and need to be considered for a reliable system design. The paper introduces the general approach and demonstrates the application of the outlined models.