Piezoelectric energy harvesting using L-shaped structures

Abstract

Energy harvesting from an L-shaped structure, formed by two beams and corner and end masses, is investigated with the objective of expanding the bandwidth of the frequency range over which energy can be harvested. The structure is excited in a direction that yields the most uniform strain distribution along its main beam. The length of the auxiliary beam is varied to determine its effect on the level and breadth of the frequency range over which energy can be harvested. Results from experiments having different geometries are presented and discussed. It is determined that the frequency range over which energy can be harvested from such structures is much larger than levels harvested when using a cantilever beam. The experiments also show that L-shaped structures harvest more power when the length of the auxiliary beam is increased. On the contrary, the power density of the L-shaped structure is much smaller than that of the cantilever beam. The ability to control the bandwidth of frequency over which energy is harvested through proper adjustment of beam lengths is demonstrated.