Frequency tunable piezoelectric energy harvester with segmented electrodes for improved power generation

Abstract:
Energy harvesting or ‘energy scavenging’ means the process of converting ambient energy (i.e. energy which is present in the environment) into electrical energy. Different kinds of energy harvesting approaches have been studied, depending on the source of the energy (vibration, heat flow, radio frequency, etc.). In the present work, we are interested in harvesting energy from ambient vibrations using optimized resonators and piezoelectric materials. We present a novel resonator design with permanent magnets for frequency tuning together with characterization results. We also report on an increased electrical power output by implementing separated piezoelectric patches.