Effects of geometric and material properties on electrical power harvested from a bimorph piezoelectric cantilever beam
Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures
ISSN: 1573-6105
Article publication date: 30 September 2013
Abstract
Purpose
A three-dimensional finite element (FE) model is developed to design a vibrating bimorph piezoelectric cantilever beam with lead zirconate titanate (PZT-5H) for energy harvesting. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
A parametric study of electric power generated as a function of the dielectric constant, transverse piezoelectric strain constant, length and thickness of the piezoelectric material, is conducted for a time-harmonic surface pressure load. Transversely isotropic elastic and piezoelectric properties are assigned to the bimorph layers with brass chosen as the substrate material in the three-dimensional FE model. Using design of experiments, a study was conducted to determine the sensitivity of power with respect to the geometric and material variables.
Findings
The numerical analysis shows that a uniform decrease in thickness and length coverage of the piezoelectric layers results in a nonlinear reduction in power amplitude, which suggests optimal values. The piezoelectric strain coefficient, d31 and the thickness of PZT-5H, tp, are the most important design parameters to generate high electric energy for bimorph vibration harvesting device.
Originality/value
The work demonstrates that, through a sensitivity analysis, the electro-mechanical piezoelectric coupling coefficient (d31) and the thickness of the piezoelectric strips (tp) are the most important parameters which have a significant effect on power harvested.
Keywords
Citation
Chandrasekharan, N., Ju, J. and Thompson, L. (2013), "Effects of geometric and material properties on electrical power harvested from a bimorph piezoelectric cantilever beam", Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures, Vol. 9 No. 3, pp. 391-409. https://doi.org/10.1108/MMMS-05-2012-0009
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited