A study of energy harvesting from piezoelectrics using impact \nforces

Abstract

\n Piezoelectric elements can be used to harvest electrical \nenergy when impact forces are applied to their surfaces. Often, however, \nonly the peak voltages, or peak power output is used as a measure of device \nperformance, and the total energy harvested during an impact force is \noverlooked. For energy harvesting applications, such as small-scale \npiezoelectric batteries, the total energy generated over an impact cycle \nshould be considered. In this paper the total energy efficiency of several \ncommercially available piezoelectric materials are evaluated using impact \ntesting. The results revealed that different materials have significantly \ndifferent energy efficiencies due to factors such as material type and \ndevice construction. Further, it was found that peak power output is not \nalways the most appropriate measure of device performance for energy \nconversion applications.\n\n \n