Energy harvesting from low frequency applications using piezoelectric materials

TLDR

Harvesting energy from mechanical vibrations or impacts using piezoelectric materials has been researched for decades to avoid battery replacement in hard‑to‑service devices, yet most applications involve very low input frequencies, which challenge researchers because piezoelectric materials have relatively high elastic moduli. This paper reviews the current state of research on piezoelectric energy harvesting devices for low‑frequency (0–100 Hz) applications and the methods developed to improve their power outputs. The review discusses key performance factors such as piezoelectric element geometry, material type, resonance‑matching techniques, and specialized electronic circuits designed for energy harvesters.

Abstract

In an effort to eliminate the replacement of the batteries of electronic devices that are difficult or impractical to service once deployed, harvesting energy from mechanical vibrations or impacts using piezoelectric materials has been researched over the last several decades. However, a majority of these applications have very low input frequencies. This presents a challenge for the researchers to optimize the energy output of piezoelectric energy harvesters, due to the relatively high elastic moduli of piezoelectric materials used to date. This paper reviews the current state of research on piezoelectric energy harvesting devices for low frequency (0–100 Hz) applications and the methods that have been developed to improve the power outputs of the piezoelectric energy harvesters. Various key aspects that contribute to the overall performance of a piezoelectric energy harvester are discussed, including geometries of the piezoelectric element, types of piezoelectric material used, techniques employed to match the resonance frequency of the piezoelectric element to input frequency of the host structure, and electronic circuits specifically designed for energy harvesters.