Design and Development of an Energy Harvester Using Piezoelectric Material

Abstract

Power harvesting refers to the process of acquiring energy surrounding a system and converting it into electrical energy. In this project, a wind energy harvester has been designed and developed based on the mechanical mechanism with attaching the Macro Fiber Composite (MFC) onto cantilever beam to harvest energy from magnets interaction-produced vibration. The background and theory related to the wind energy harvester were introduced at the beginning. The magnetic field changes along with the performances of different cantilever beam have been simulated by finite element analysis. Different flabellum and piezoceramic materials have been compared and selected. Pivot design parameters have been identified. The device prototype has been fabricated and different cantilever beam’s influences on the harvester output have been examined. Through making use of piezoelectric materials and harvesting circuits, the performance of the developed device has been tested by conducting experimental testing. Future improvement for the harvester has been illustrated.