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Effects of geometric and material properties on electrical power harvested from a bimorph piezoelectric cantilever beam

Nataraj Chandrasekharan (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA)
Jaehyung Ju (Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA)
Lonny Thompson (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA)

Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures

ISSN: 1573-6105

Article publication date: 30 September 2013

521

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

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