scholarly journals Nanofibers-Based Piezoelectric Energy Harvester for Self-Powered Wearable Technologies

Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 2697
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Mokhtari ◽  
Mahnaz Shamshirsaz ◽  
Masoud Latifi ◽  
Javad Foroughi

The demands for wearable technologies continue to grow and novel approaches for powering these devices are being enabled by the advent of new energy materials and novel manufacturing strategies. In addition, decreasing the energy consumption of portable electronic devices has created a huge demand for the development of cost-effective and environment friendly alternate energy sources. Energy harvesting materials including piezoelectric polymer with its special properties make this demand possible. Herein, we develop a flexible and lightweight nanogenerator package based on polyvinyledene fluoride (PVDF)/LiCl electrospun nanofibers. The piezoelectric performance of the developed nanogenator is investigated to evaluate effect of the thickness of the as-spun mat on the output voltage using a vibration and impact test. It is found that the output voltage increases from 1.3 V to 5 V by adding LiCl as additive into the spinning solution compared with pure PVDF. The prepared PVDF/LiCl nanogenerator is able to generate voltage and current output of 3 V and 0.5 μA with a power density output of 0.3 μW cm−2 at the frequency of 200 Hz. It is found also that the developed nanogenerator can be utilized as a sensor to measure temperature changes from 30 °C to 90 °C under static pressure. The developed electrospun temperature sensor showed sensitivity of 0.16%/°C under 100 Pa pressure and 0.06%/°C under 220 Pa pressure. The obtained results suggested the developed energy harvesting textiles have promising applications for various wearable self-powered electrical devices and systems.

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 615
Author(s):  
Liao Wu ◽  
Peidong Zhu ◽  
Minghua Xie

This paper presents a piezoelectric (PE) energy harvesting circuit, which integrates a Synchronized Switch Harvesting on Inductor (SSHI) circuit and a diode bridge rectifier. A typical SSHI circuit cannot transfer the power from a PE cantilever into the load when the rectified voltage is higher than a certain voltage. The proposed circuit addresses this problem. It uses the two resonant loops for flipping the capacitor voltage and energy transfer in each half cycle. One resonant loop is typically used for the parallel SSHI scheme, and the other for the series SSHI scheme. The hybrid SSHI circuit using the two resonant loops enables the proposed circuit’s output voltage to no longer be limited. The circuit is self-powered and has the capability of starting without the help of an external battery. Eleven simple discrete components prototyped the circuit. The experimental results show that, compared with the full-bridge (FB) circuit, the amount of power harvested from a PE cantilever and the Voltage Range of Interest (VRI) of the proposed circuit is increased by 2.9 times and by 4.4 times, respectively. A power conversion efficiency of 83.2% is achieved.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 3151
Author(s):  
Shuo Yang ◽  
Bin Wu ◽  
Xiucheng Liu ◽  
Mingzhi Li ◽  
Heying Wang ◽  
...  

In this study, a novel piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) based on the array composite spherical particle chain was constructed and explored in detail through simulation and experimental verification. The power test of the PEH based on array composite particle chains in the self-powered system was realized. Firstly, the model of PEH based on the composite spherical particle chain was constructed to theoretically realize the collection, transformation, and storage of impact energy, and the advantages of a composite particle chain in the field of piezoelectric energy harvesting were verified. Secondly, an experimental system was established to test the performance of the PEH, including the stability of the system under a continuous impact load, the power adjustment under different resistances, and the influence of the number of particle chains on the energy harvesting efficiency. Finally, a self-powered supply system was established with the PEH composed of three composite particle chains to realize the power supply of the microelectronic components. This paper presents a method of collecting impact energy based on particle chain structure, and lays an experimental foundation for the application of a composite particle chain in the field of piezoelectric energy harvesting.


Circuit World ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guoda Wang ◽  
Ping Li ◽  
Yumei Wen ◽  
Zhichun Luo

Purpose Existing control circuits for piezoelectric energy harvesting (PEH) suffers from long startup time or high power consumption. This paper aims to design an ultra-low power control circuit that can harvest weak ambient vibrational energy on the order of several microwatts to power heavy loads such as wireless sensors. Design/methodology/approach A self-powered control circuit is proposed, functioning for very brief periods at the maximum power point, resulting in a low duty cycle. The circuit can start to function at low input power thresholds and can promptly achieve optimal operating conditions when cold-starting. The circuit is designed to be able to operate without stable DC power supply and powered by the piezoelectric transducers. Findings When using the series-synchronized switch harvesting on inductor circuit with a large 1 mF energy storage capacitor, the proposed circuit can perform 322% better than the standard energy harvesting circuit in terms of energy harvested. This control circuit can also achieve an ultra-low consumption of 0.3 µW, as well as capable of cold-starting with input power as low as 5.78 µW. Originality/value The intermittent control strategy proposed in this paper can drastically reduce power consumption of the control circuit. Without dedicated cold-start modules and DC auxiliary supply, the circuit can achieve optimal efficiency within one input cycle, if the input signal is larger than voltage threshold. The proposed control strategy is especially favorable for harvesting energy from natural vibrations and can be a promising solution for other PEH circuits as well.


Author(s):  
Carmel Majidi ◽  
Mikko Haataja ◽  
David J. Srolovitz

The development of self-powered electronic devices is essential for emerging technologies such as wireless sensor networks, wearable electronics, and microrobotics. Of particular interest is the rapidly growing field of piezoelectric energy harvesting (PEH), in which mechanical strains are converted to electricity. Recently, PEH has been demonstrated by brushing an array of piezoelectric nanowires against a nanostructured surface. The piezoelectric nanobrush generator can be limited to sub-micron dimensions and thus allows for a vast reduction in the size of self-powered devices. Moreover, energy harvesting is controlled through contact between the nanowire tips and nanostructured surface, which broadens the design space to a wealth of innovations in tribology. Here we propose design criteria based on principles of contact mechanics, elastic rod theory, and continuum piezoelasticity.


Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 2797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chongsei Yoon ◽  
Buil Jeon ◽  
Giwan Yoon

In this paper, we present zinc oxide (ZnO)-based flexible harvesting devices employing commercially available, cost-effective thin aluminum (Al) foils as substrates and conductive bottom electrodes. From the device fabrication point of view, Al-foils have a relatively high melting point, allowing for device processing and annealing treatments at elevated temperatures, which flexible plastic substrate materials cannot sustain because of their relatively low melting temperatures. Moreover, Al-foil is a highly cost-effective, commercially available material. In this work, we fabricated and characterized various kinds of multilayered thin-film energy harvesting devices, employing Al-foils in order to verify their device performance. The fabricated devices exhibited peak-to-peak output voltages ranging from 0.025 V to 0.140 V. These results suggest that it is feasible to employ Al-foils to fabricate energy-efficient energy harvesting devices at relatively high temperatures. It is anticipated that with further process optimization and device integration, device performance can be further improved.


Author(s):  
Jui-Ta Chien ◽  
Yung-Hsing Fu ◽  
Chao-Ting Chen ◽  
Shun-Chiu Lin ◽  
Yi-Chung Shu ◽  
...  

This paper proposes a broadband rotational energy harvesting setup by using micro piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH). When driven in different rotating speed, the PEH can output relatively high power which exhibits the phenomenon of frequency up-conversion transforming the low frequency of rotation into the high frequency of resonant vibration. It aims to power self-powered devices used in the applications, like smart tires, smart bearings, and health monitoring sensors on rotational machines. Through the excitation of the rotary magnetic repulsion, the cantilever beam presents periodically damped oscillation. Under the rotational excitation, the maximum output voltage and power of PEH with optimal impedance is 28.2 Vpp and 663 μW, respectively. The output performance of the same energy harvester driven in ordinary vibrational based excitation is compared with rotational oscillation under open circuit condition. The maximum output voltage under 2.5g acceleration level of vibration is 27.54 Vpp while the peak output voltage of 36.5 Vpp in rotational excitation (in 265 rpm).


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-99
Author(s):  
Aliza Aini Md Ralib ◽  
Nur Wafa Asyiqin Zulfakher ◽  
Rosminazuin Ab Rahim ◽  
Nor Farahidah Za'bah ◽  
Noor Hazrin Hany Mohamad Hanif

Vibration energy harvesting has been progressively developed in the advancement of technology and widely used by a lot of researchers around the world. There is a very high demand for energy scavenging around the world due to it being cheaper in price, possibly miniaturized within a system, long lasting, and environmentally friendly. The conventional battery is hazardous to the environment and has a shorter operating lifespan. Therefore, ambient vibration energy serves as an alternative that can replace the battery because it can be integrated and compatible to micro-electromechanical systems. This paper presents the design and analysis of a MEMS piezoelectric energy harvester, which is a vibration energy harvesting type. The energy harvester was formed using Lead Zicronate Titanate (PZT-5A) as the piezoelectric thin film, silicon as the substrate layer and structural steel as the electrode layer. The resonance frequency will provide the maximum output power, maximum output voltage and maximum displacement of vibration. The operating mode also plays an important role to generate larger output voltage with less displacement of cantilever. Some designs also have been studied by varying height and length of piezoelectric materials. Hence, this project will demonstrate the simulation of a MEMS piezoelectric device for a low power electronic performance. Simulation results show PZT-5A piezoelectric energy with a length of 31 mm and height of 0.16 mm generates maximum output voltage of 7.435 V and maximum output power of 2.30 mW at the resonance frequency of 40 Hz. ABSTRAK: Penuaian tenaga getaran telah berkembang secara pesat dalam kemajuan teknologi dan telah digunakan secara meluas oleh ramai penyelidik di seluruh dunia. Terdapat permintaan yang sangat tinggi di seluruh dunia terhadap penuaian tenaga kerana harganya yang lebih murah, bersaiz kecil dalam satu sistem, tahan lama dan mesra alam. Manakala, bateri konvensional adalah berbahaya bagi alam sekitar dan mempunyai jangka hayat yang lebih pendek. Oleh itu, getaran tenaga dari persekitaran lebih sesuai sebagai alternatif kepada bateri kerana ia mudah diintegrasikan dan serasi dengan sistem mikroelektromekanikal. Kertas kerja ini  membentangkan reka bentuk dan analisis tenaga piezoelektrik MEMS iaitu salah satu jenis penuaian tenaga getaran. Penuai tenaga ini dibentuk menggunakan Lead Zicronate Titanate (PZT-5A) sebagai lapisan filem tipis piezoelektrik, silikon sebagai lapisan substrat dan keluli struktur sebagai lapisan elektrod. Frekuensi resonans akan memberikan hasil tenaga maksima, voltan tenaga maksima dan getaran jarak maksima. Mod pengendalian juga memainkan peranan penting bagi menghasilkan tenaga yang lebih besar. Reka bentuk yang mempunyai ketinggian dan panjang berlainan juga telah diuji dengan menggunakan bahan piezoelektrik yang sama. Oleh itu, projek ini akan menghasilkan simulasi piezoelektrik MEMS yang sesuai digunakan bagi alat elektronik berkuasa rendah. Hasil simulasi menunjukkan dengan panjang 31 mm dan ketinggian 0.16 mm, piezoelektrik PZT ini menghasilkan voltan maksima sebanyak 7.435 V dan tenaga output maksima 2.30 mW pada frekuensi resonans 40 Hz.


Author(s):  
Saman Farhangdoust ◽  
Gary Georgeson ◽  
Jeong-Beom Ihn ◽  
Armin Mehrabi

Abstract These days, piezoelectric energy harvesting (PEH) is introduced as one of the clean and renewable energy sources for powering the self-powered sensors utilized for wireless condition monitoring of structures. However, low efficiency is the biggest drawback of the PEHs. This paper introduces an innovative embedded metamaterial subframe (MetaSub) patch as a practical solution to address the low throughput limitation of conventional PEHs whose host structure has already been constructed or installed. To evaluate the performance of the embedded MetaSub patch (EMSP), a cantilever beam is considered as the host structure in this study. The EMSP transfers the auxetic behavior to the piezoelectric element (PZT) wherever substituting a regular beam with an auxetic beam is either impracticable or suboptimal. The concept of the EMSP is numerically validated, and the COMSOL Multiphysics software was employed to investigate its performance when a cantilever beam is subjected to different amplitude and frequency. The FEM results demonstrate that the harvesting power in cases that use the EMSP can be amplified up to 5.5 times compared to a piezoelectric cantilever energy harvester without patch. This paper opens up a great potential of using EMSP for different types of energy harvesting systems in biomedical, acoustics, civil, electrical, aerospace, and mechanical engineering applications.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document