Efficiency improvement of a cantilever type energy harvester using torsional vibration

Abstract

In this paper, a piezoelectric vibrational energy harvester utilizing coupled bending and torsional vibrations is investigated. The proposed system consists of a cantilever-type substrate covered by the piezoelectric ceramic and a proof mass which is perpendicularly connected to the free end of the cantilever beam by a rigid bar. While the natural frequency and output voltage of the conventional system are affected by bending deformation of the piezoelectric plate, the proposed system makes use of its twisting deformation. The natural frequency of the device can be significantly decreased by manipulating the location of the proof mass on the rigid bar. In order to validate the performance of the proposed energy harvester, numerical simulations and vertical shaker tests are carried out. It is demonstrated that the proposed energy harvester can shift down its resonant frequency considerably and generate much higher output power than the conventional system. It is, therefore, concluded that the proposed energy harvester utilizing the coupled bending and torsional vibrations can be effectively applied to low-frequency vibration situations.