Researchers improve efficiency of energy harvesters
Researchers at the UK’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have found they can make energy harvesters more efficient by eliminating a key material.
The team conducted experiments on piezoelectric energy harvesters that use a cantilever to convert kinetic energy into electricity.
The cantilever utilises energy from unwanted mechanical vibrations, such as the rattling of an air-conditioning duct or the movement of a bridge with passing traffic, to generate power on the microwatt scale.
Dr Paul Weaver, project leader from the NPL, told The Engineer: ‘The output of our energy harvester was 40µW with full coverage of the piezoelectric material at 5Hz. This increases to 46µW when the coverage of the piezoelectric is reduced by one third.’
The cantilever consists of an electricity-generating piezoelectric layer on top of a flexible metal layer or composite layer. ‘We put a weight on one end of the cantilever and the other end is fixed,’ said Weaver. ‘Just like twanging a ruler, if the cantilever is subject to any vibration, then it will oscillate at a particular frequency and produce an energy output.’
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