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Energy Harvesting with Vibrating Shoe-Mounted Piezoelectric Cantilevers

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Advances in Energy Harvesting Methods

Abstract

This chapter presents a study on energy harvesting from human walking via piezoelectric vibrating bimorphs. Heel accelerations are measured and compared with data from literature. All relevant features are summarized in a typical (standard) acceleration signal, used as a reference input in numerical simulations. The transient electromechanical response (beam deflection, output voltage, and average output power) of a shoe-mounted rectangular scavenger excited by the standard acceleration is calculated by numerical simulations. Step-by-step numerical integration is used, as the input is a non-sinusoidal signal and explicit analytical solution is not available. Results from simulations are also validated with measurements on a real shoe-mounted device. A sensitivity analysis is finally performed to find alternative scavenger configurations that could provide increased power levels. Acceptability criteria based on imposed geometrical constraints and material strength limits are also checked. This analysis allows a rapid screening of harvesting performance among a wide set of different scavenger configurations, which allows finding the one providing the largest output power.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This confirms that the resistive load R L = 14 kΩ used in Sect. 6.4is not the optimum one.

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Acknowledgments

This work is a part of “Tech-Up” project for the development of ubiquitous and pervasive technologies, which is financially supported by the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region, Italy. The authors wish also to acknowledge Mr. Elvio Castellarin for precious help in experimental measurements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. DIEGM, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica Gestionale Meccanica, Università di Udine, via delle Scienze 208, 33100, Udine, Italy

    Denis Benasciutti & Luciano Moro

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  1. Denis Benasciutti
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  2. Luciano Moro
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Correspondence to Denis Benasciutti .

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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

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Benasciutti, D., Moro, L. (2013). Energy Harvesting with Vibrating Shoe-Mounted Piezoelectric Cantilevers. 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_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5705-3_6

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  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-5705-3

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