Parametric and Experimental Modeling of Axial-Type Piezoelectric Energy Generator with Active Base

Abstract

A computational and experimental approach to modeling oscillations of a new axial-type piezoelectric generator (PEG) with an attached mass and an active base is considered. A pair of cylindrical piezoelements located along the generator axis is used as an active base. Plate-type piezoelectric elements, made in the form of two bimorphs on an elastic PEG base, use the potential energy of PEG bending vibrations. Energy generation in cylindrical piezoelectric elements occurs due to the transfer of compressive forces to the piezoelectric element at the base of the PEG during excitation of structural vibrations. The active load scheme is selected separately for each piezoelectric element. Numerical simulation was performed in the ANSYS FE analysis package. The results of modal and harmonic analysis of vibrations are presented. A technique for experimental analysis of vibrations is presented, and a laboratory test setup is described. Numerical and experimental results are presented for the output characteristics of a piezoelectric generator at a low-frequency load. For one of the versions of the generator and a certain displacement amplitude for a frequency of 39 Hz, in the results of a comparative experimental analysis at a load of 10 kΩ, the maximum output power for each cylindrical piezoelectric element was 2138.9 μW, and for plate-type piezoelectric elements, respectively, 446.9 μW and 423.2 μW.

Keywords

• piezoelectric generator
• axial type
• proof mass
• finite element modeling
• physical experiment
• measuring setup