Electrostrictive energy conversion in polyurethane nanocomposites

Abstract

Electrostrictive polymers have demonstrated an ability to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy and vice versa. This energy conversion has been exploited in an extensive range of applications, including sensors and actuators. Recently, electrostrictive polymers have been investigated as electroactive materials for energy harvesting. The present work aims at establishing an analytical modeling based on electrostrictive equations for predicting a current that can be obtained from the first flexural mode of a beam which was attached by the electrostrictive polymers. The study was carried out on polyurethane films, either without filler or filled with nanosized SiC or a carbon nanopowder. Experimental measurements of the harvested current have been compared to the theoretical behavior predicted by the proposed model. A good agreement was observed between the two sets of data, which consequently validated that the modeling can be used to optimize the choice of materials. It was also shown that the incorporation of nanofillers in polyurethane increased the obtained current.