Development of a laboratory system to investigate and store electrical energy from the vibrations of a piezoelectric beam

Abstract

<em>Energy harvesting from surrounding environment has been attractive for many researchers in recent years. Therefore, developing appropriate test apparatus to study energy harvesting mechanisms and their performance is of paramount importance. Due to their electromechanical characteristics, piezoelectric materials are used for harvesting energy from environmental vibrations. For optimum utilization of this system in harvesting and storing energy, the studies need to consider the environmental conditions. In this work, the electromechanical system is developed with the aim of conducting tests on piezoelectric materials. It is an integrated system which is developed and built after considering the limitations and sensitivity of piezoelectric material. In this research, the simple piezoelectric beam is also tested. Evaluation results via this system are analysed using Abaqus. The error value in receiving output voltage is 6% because an ideal open circuit state is considered by this software.</em>