Development of a Design Tool for Optimization of Voltage Generation from a Bimorph Piezoelectric Cantilever Beam

Abstract

Abstract Mechanical energy is one of the most common forms of energy which can be harvested from our everyday environment, and, piezoelectric (PZT) materials are widely used as transducers for converting mechanical energy, often in the form ambient motion (usually vibration) into electrical energy. Central to the design process of the energy harvesting device, which involves various interrelated parameters, is the need to quickly and efficiently optimize the key design parameters using validated analytical modelling. Hence in this work, a design tool built on vibration theory of an Euler-Bernoulli cantilever beam, and, a realistic equivalent circuit model for a piezoelectric generator with a resistive load is developed.