Modeling and design of a MEMS piezoelectric vibration energy harvester

The modeling and design of MEMS-scale piezoelectric-based vibration energy harvesters (MPVEH) are presented. The work is motivated by the need for pervasive and limitless power for wireless sensor nodes that have application in structural health monitoring, homeland security, and infrastructure monitoring. A review of prior milli- to micro-scale harvesters is provided. Common ambient low-level vibration sources are characterized experimentally. Coupled with a dissipative system model and a mechanical damping investigation, a new scale-dependent operating frequency selection scheme is presented. Coupled electromechanical structural models are developed, based on the linear piezoelectric constitutive description, to predict uni-morph and bi-morph cantilever beam harvester performance. Piezoelectric coupling non-intuitively cancels from the power prediction under power-optimal operating conditions, although the voltage and current are still dependent on this property. Piezoelectric material selection and mode of operation ([3-1] vs. [3-3]) therefore have little effect on the maximum power extracted. The model is verified for resonance and off-resonance operation by comparison to new experimental results for a macro-scale harvester. Excellent correlation is obtained away from resonances in the small-strain linear piezoelectric regime. The model consistently underpredicts the response at resonances due to the known non-linear piezoelectric constitutive response (higher strain regime). Applying the model, an optimized single prototype bi-morph MPVEH is designed concurrently with a microfabrication scheme.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2005

Author dc:creator

• Du Toit, Noël Eduard

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Brian L. Wardle.

• Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/32450

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/32450