Title: Modal analysis and modelling approach for piezoelectric transducers based energy harvesting applications

Authors: Nadjet Zioui; Aicha Mahmoudi

Addresses: Département de génie mécanique, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 3351, boul. Des Forges, C.P. 500, Trois-Rivières (Québec), G9A 5H7, Canada ' VEO Project, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada

Abstract: The use of piezoelectric elements to recover energy from machine vibrations, motor vehicle interactions with roads and human motion has been an area of serious research in academia and industry for nearly two decades. An essential step in the design and optimisation of any engineered system is the development of a functional model. With an appropriate model, the useful energy recoverable from a piezoelectric element can be predicted. In this study, methodologies applicable to modelling the dynamic behaviour of piezoelectric devices for energy harvesting purposes are evaluated. A novel approach to modelling the dynamic operation of piezoelectric elements is proposed, using a transfer function with parameters identified on the basis of measured spectral responses. This approach enhances understanding of element dynamic behaviour and reveals dynamics that can be omitted from the model. The resulting model is validated in two case studies and compared to published models.

Keywords: energy harvesting; piezoelectric transducer; modal analysis; mathematical modelling; transfer function.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMIC.2020.117493

International Journal of Modelling, Identification and Control, 2020 Vol.36 No.4, pp.304 - 314

Received: 26 Jun 2020
Accepted: 04 Nov 2020
Published online: 09 Sep 2021 *

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