WSU researchers have designed an energy harvesting device using an air-space piezoelectric cantilever instead of the piezoelectric bimorph. Current vibration energy harvesting devices typically employ piezoelectric bimorph or a bimorph with a shim in the middle. The use of the air-space cantilevers produces numerous advantages compared to conventional devices:
Competitive Advantages:- Significant increase in voltage generated - Increase in efficiency of converting vibration mechanical energy to electrical energy (<90%)
Commercial Applications:
This invention will be valued in a variety of applications including PDAs, cell phones, vehicle tire pressure sensor monitors, wireless sensor network as well as medical devices such as pace makers.
Status:
A prototype of this design has been built and successfully tested confirming the analytical advantages above.