Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Advances in Energy Harvesting Methods pp 119–140Cite as

Plucked Piezoelectric Bimorphs for Energy Harvesting

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Abstract

In this chapter, the plucking technique of frequency up-conversion is introduced, modelled and applied to energy harvesting. The aim of the technique is to bridge the gap between the high-frequency response of piezoelectric energy harvesters and the low-frequency input that is most often available from the ambient environment. After covering the general principle of plucking excitation, the plucking action is modelled analytically as well as with finite element analysis. Finally, the application of plucked piezoelectric bimorphs to a wearable knee-joint harvester (the pizzicato energy harvester) is discussed in some depth to show the potential of the plucking technique of frequency up-conversion.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    The properties of PZT can be tailored by adjusting the relative concentration of zirconium and titanium as well as by the addition of doping elements.

  2. 2.

    The names series and parallel derive from the configuration of the electrical connections, for example, in a parallel bimorph, the two layers are electrically connected in parallel.

  3. 3.

    The internal shim is optional but normally added to increase the mechanical robustness of the device. Typical materials are stainless steel or brass.

  4. 4.

    It is assumed that the geometrical parameters of the bimorph permit the use the Euler–Bernoulli beam approximation.

  5. 5.

    PZT ceramics are transversely isotropic as the poling direction is different from the other two directions.

  6. 6.

    We are here adhering to the convention, common in piezoelectricity, of naming the stress T and the strain S.

  7. 7.

    Soft PZT is characterised by larger piezoelectric coupling coefficients, which are useful for energy harvesting; hard PZT has lower piezoelectric activity but has also higher-quality factor, which reduces the energy dissipated and is essential in high-frequency resonators.

  8. 8.

    The average power is given by \(P_{\mathrm{av}} = E(t)/t\) (see Eq. (5.25)), where E(t) tends to an asymptotic value for t → ∞.

  9. 9.

    Point P2 identifies the expected location of a plectrum which, due to manufacturing imperfections, was actually too short to interact with the bimorph.

References

  1. Berlincourt D, Krueger HA (2000) Properties of morgan ElectroCeramic ceramics. Tech Rep TP-226, Morgan ElectroCeramics

    Google Scholar 

  2. Erturk A, Inman DJ (2008) A distributed parameter electromechanical model for cantilevered piezoelectric energy harvesters. J Vib Acoust 130(4):041,002–15. DOI 10.1115/1.2890402. URL http://link.aip.org/link/?VAJ/130/041002/1

  3. Ferrari V, Gatti PL (2007) Applied structural and mechanical vibrations: theory, methods and measuring instrumentation, Taylor & Francis; 2nd Revised edition

    Google Scholar 

  4. Guyomar D, Lallart M (2011) Recent progress in piezoelectric conversion and energy harvesting using nonlinear electronic interfaces and issues in small scale implementation. Micromachines 2:274–294. DOI 10.3390/mi2020274. URL http://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/2/2/274/

  5. Kulah H, Najafi K (2004) An electromagnetic micro power generator for low-frequency environmental vibrations. In: Micro electro mechanical systems, 2004. 17th IEEE International Conference on. (MEMS), pp. 237–240. IEEE. DOI 10.1109/MEMS.2004.1290566

    Google Scholar 

  6. Kulah H, Najafi K (2008) Energy scavenging from Low-Frequency vibrations by using frequency Up-Conversion for wireless sensor applications. IEEE Sensor J 8(3), 261–268. DOI 10.1109/JSEN.2008.917125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Li Q, Naing V, Donelan J (2009) Development of a biomechanical energy harvester. J NeuroEngineering Rehabil 6(1):22. DOI 10.1186/1743-0003-6-22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Murray R, Rastegar J (2009) Novel two-stage piezoelectric-based ocean wave energy harvesters for moored or unmoored buoys. In: Proceedings of SPIE, pp. 72, 880E–72, 880E–12. San Diego, CA, USA. DOI 10.1117/12.815852

    Google Scholar 

  9. Pozzi M, Aung M, Zhu M, Jones R, Goulermas J (2012) The pizzicato knee-joint energy harvester: characterization with biomechanical data and effect of backpack load. Smart Mater Struct 21(6):075023. DOI 10.1088/0964-1726/21/7/075023

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Pozzi M, Zhu M (2011) Plucked piezoelectric bimorphs for knee-joint energy harvesting: modelling and experimental validation. Smart Mater Struct 20(5):055,007. DOI 10.1088/0964-1726/20/5/055007. URL http://iopscience.iop.org/0964-1726/20/5/055007/

  11. Pozzi M, Zhu M (2012) Characterization of a rotary piezoelectric energy harvester based on plucking excitation for knee-joint wearable applications. Smart Mater Struct 21(5):055,004. DOI 10.1088/0964-1726/21/5/055004. URL http://iopscience.iop.org/0964-1726/21/5/055004

  12. Rastegar J, Murray R (2010) Novel two-stage piezoelectric-based electrical energy generators for low and variable speed rotary machinery. pp. 76, 430C–76, 430C–8. San Diego, CA, USA. DOI 10.1117/12.847755

    Google Scholar 

  13. Renaud M, Fiorini P, van Schaijk R, van Hoof C (2009) Harvesting energy from the motion of human limbs: the design and analysis of an impact-based piezoelectric generator. Smart Mater Struct 18(3):035,001. DOI 10.1088/0964-1726/18/3/035001. URL http://iopscience.iop.org/0964-1726/18/3/035001

  14. Riemer R, Shapiro A (2011) Biomechanical energy harvesting from human motion: Theory, state of the art, design guidelines, and future directions. J NeuroEngineering Rehabil 8(1):22. DOI 10.1186/1743-0003-8-22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Umeda M, Nakamura K, Ueha S (1996) Analysis of the transformation of mechanical impact energy to electric energy using piezoelectric vibrator. Jpn J Appl Phys 35(Part 1, No. 5B):3267–3273. DOI 10.1143/JJAP.35.3267. URL http://jjap.jsap.jp/link?JJAP/35/3267/

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the financial support dstl(MoD) and EPSRC (EP/H020764/1) which sponsored this work. M. Pozzi would like to thank his wife Wimonrat for her support during the research work that led him to the pizzicato energy harvester and the modelling of the plucking excitation—M. Pozzi

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Manufacturing and Materials, Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK

    Michele Pozzi & Meiling Zhu

Authors
  1. Michele Pozzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Meiling Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Meiling Zhu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Steinman Hall T-228, The City College of New York, Street at Convent Avenue 140, New York, 10031, New York, USA

    Niell Elvin

  2. , G. W. Woodruff School of, Georgia Institute of Technology, J. Erskine Love Jr. Manufacturing Building 126, Atlanta, 30332, Georgia, USA

    Alper Erturk

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Pozzi, M., Zhu, M. (2013). Plucked Piezoelectric Bimorphs for Energy Harvesting. In: Elvin, N., Erturk, A. (eds) Advances in Energy Harvesting Methods. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5705-3_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5705-3_5

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-5704-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-5705-3

  • eBook Packages: EnergyEnergy (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation