Energy harvesting devices piezoelectric

In summary, a variety of flexible energy harvesting devices including solar cells and piezoelectric devices have been developed to meet the requirement of next-generation portable or wearable devices. However, the power conversion efficiencies of electronic devices were largely limited by the high electrical resistance of flexible electrodes based on polymer substrates. Therefore, more efforts are required to develop new flexible electrodes with higher electrical conductivities. 

Electrospinning technique has been used not only for the deposition of polymeric nanofibres but also for the production of ceramic nanofibres of PZT. PZT is commonly used in micro- and macro-scale piezoelectric energy harvesting devices due to its high electro-mechanical coupling coefficient of -500-600pC ) as compared... 

Swallow et al. (2008) have reported the formation of a piezoelectric fibre composite-based energy harvesting device intended to be used as a glove for tremor suppression. They have investigated the use of both PVDF and PZT in fibre composites for the production of electrical outputs. The piezoelectric fibre composite containing PZT produced a power output of 11 pW, compared to the power output of 0.3 pW of the PVDF material alone. 

ZnO nanocrystals demonstrate strong polarization, see Fig. 16.11 [105], which ensures nano-ZnO a material with dilute magnetism and catalytic active. Meanwhile, nano-ZnO exhibits piezoelectricity, which has been used for energy harvesting devices. Fig. 20.10 illustrates the fiber nanogenerator of electricity by... 

The materials and methods presented in this review allow access to charge storage materials with extraordinary high temperature stability which can be employed for instance in microphones, sensor devices, and electret filters. In addition, such excellent electrets are of fundamental importance for piezoelectric devices within the rapidly emerging field of energy harvesting. 

Guan Ml, Liao WH (2007) On the efficiencies of piezoelectric energy harvesting circuits towards storage device voltages. Smart Mater. Struct. 6 498-505. 

Cook-Chennault, K.A., Thambi, N., Sastry, A.M., 2008. Powering MEMS portable devices—a review of non-regenerative and regenerative power supply systems with special emphasis on piezoelectric energy harvesting systems. Smart Mater. Struct. 17, 043001. 

Siores et al. (2010) have developed a fibre stmcture that can be used to convert mechanical and light energy into electrical energy. The hybrid energy conversion device consists of a piezoelectric polymeric structure coated with a photovoltaic system. The fibre is claimed to be flexible enough to be converted into textiles for energy harvesting. 

This chapter presents a brief overview on sensor and transducer applications of piezoelectric and electrostrictive polymers. Piezoelectric and electrostrictive polymers are smart electromechanical materials which have already found commercial applications in various transducer configurations. Novel applications may arise in the emerging fields of autonomous robots, electronic skin, and flexible energy generators. This chapter focuses on recent device demonstrations of piezoelectric and electrostrictive polymers in these novel fields of research to stimulate and to facilitate the exchange of ideas between disciplines. The applications considered include piezoelectric sensors for electronic skin, piezoelectric loudspeakers and transducers for mechanically flexible energy harvesters, as well as electrostrictive transducers for haptic feedback in displays. 

A similar approach was achieved by other groups (Kumar and Kim, 2012) in reporting hybrid devices of photovoltaic and piezoelectric that improve the transportation of electrons and energy harvesting. Controlled ZnO nanostructures in various complex nanoarchitectures improve charge collection. Solar and mechanical energies are utilized in this case because they can work in the absence of either solar or mechanical energy. 

Another aspect is the integration of Energy Harvesting (EH) methods with vibration suppression and control devices, for supplying power to autonomous sensors for SHM applications or for self-powered damper systems. Applications are expected using electromagnetic dampers (Shen and Zhu 2014) and piezoelectric or other materials once issues related to fatigue and real-life stresses are resolved. 

Some flexible devices are based on electrospun nanofibrous web of piezoelectric PVDF and its copolymer for sensing and energy harvesting. This section will give... 

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