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Power Generation Using Piezoelectric Materials

Preprint · December 2018

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.32657.89448

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Power Generation Using Piezoelectric Materials

Bayan Ali Al Mashaleh

substance is formed from particles, when these piezoelectric

Abstract— The purpose of this paper is to provide a solid particles such as quartz or ceramic are under mechanical
explanation for the generation of reliable amount of power by causative such as pressure, this will change the neutral
using the conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy formation of the charges inside the particles, and this will lead
using piezoelectric materials. The aim is to find a suitable and to have a converging between the particles. As a result,
efficient source of electrical energy by using our surrounding, I’ve formation of a positive charge and negative charge.
used the mechanical energy produced from our footsteps in order
to produce sufficient and reliable amount of energy.
Consequently, formation of an electric voltage. On the other
hand, when we change the causative to be an electric voltage,
Index Terms— Energy harvesting, piezoelectricity, piezoelectric the result will be the generation of mechanical vibration. Such
effect, energy conversion. elements are called energy harvesters.

I. INTRODUCTION
Regarding our crucial need for energy for its importance in all
aspects of life, the searching for renewable and non-renewable
energy sources was a must. In recent years, fossil fuel is
considered the only and most reliable source of energy that
human being used. Concerning the benefits of this fossil energy,
it is endanger of running out because its formation takes
millions of years. Furthermore, its uttermost disadvantage lies
in the toxic gases which affects our environment in addition for
our shield, the Ozone layer. This is a serious threat which affect
our way of living, and the solution was reducing the use of the
fossil fuel and substitute it with green energy sources. This Fig. 1. Piezoelectric Effect
transformation for green energy have reduced that pollution
which harm the environment, pollute the air we breathe and Piezoelectric materials have two important properties that are
destroy animal’s habitats. On the other hand, the cost of defined as direct & converse effects. Direct effect is the
changing from non-renewable to renewable source can be property of some materials to develop electric charges when
costly. My research is based on looking into a source of energy mechanical stress is exerted on them. While converse effect is
which eliminates the negative effects and use our surrounding the opposite of the direct effect. This effect can be used
to solve this dilemma, so we can provide some kind of relief. significantly in our daily life, which is used as a transducer. This
transducer is our main subject of study in this paper. It consists
of two metallic plates separated by a crystal from quartz or other
II. PIEZOELECTRICITY
piezoelectric material. When subjected into mechanical stress,
Piezoelectricity is a property for some materials which lies in one or both of the plates vibrates, this vibrations will be
generating electrical voltage when mechanical force is transferred to the crystal, and this will produce a low alternating
subjected into it and vice versa. This phenomena was voltage. This AC voltage will be transferred to the metallic
discovered by the Curie brothers in 1880, they have discovered plates and amplified to an equal value to the mechanical stress.
a relation between electricity and pressure in certain materials. The ceramic piezoelectric can be found in sonar devices to
After several experiments they discovered that some materials locate the presence of objects under water such as submarines,
such as quartz, ceramic and potassium sodium tatrates, when this process is done using the transfer of electric signals through
subjected into mechanical stresses, the natural formation of the piezoelectric material. This leads to form a high frequency
charges breaks up therefore an electric voltage will be mechanical vibration that moves through the water, this
produced. This process can be done using the principle of vibrations will collide with an object and reflected till it finds
energy harvesting. Energy harvesting is defined as capturing another piezoelectric material which will convert these
finite amounts of energy from one or more of the surrounding vibrations into electricity, and this is the process of
energy sources. From this principle the need of piezoelectricity communications and discoveries under water. The time spent in
and piezoelectric materials is considered a wonderful solution sending and receiving the signal is used to calculate how far this
for the stated above problems. We totally know that the object from the source of vibrations (sonar). Piezoelectric
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materials can be found also in computers, printers, etc. The

following figure illustrates the shape of piezoelectric quartz
transducer.

Fig. 3. Full wave bridge rectifier

The output wave of the rectifier contain considered amounts of

Fig. 2. Piezoelectric quartz transducer ripples, which will affect the storing ability of the battery. So,
we must use a suitable filter in order to eliminate these ripples
The advantages of piezoelectric materials: from the output wave to get a pure DC wave. Simple filters such
1- Self-generating, no need for external sources. as the RC filter can be used.
2- Easy to implement and use.
3- Can be shaped and formed as desired.

On other hand, there is some disadvantages related to the

piezoelectric materials:
1- Can’t be used in stable conditions, it needs continuous
vibrations.
2- The output voltage may vary according to the
temperature and humidity.

III. FULL WAVE RECTIFICATION

As discussed earlier, piezoelectric materials are used for
producing AC voltage. From this perception, the importance of
transforming this AC voltage into DC voltage is a must because
DC voltage can be stored and used later in various applications. Fig. 4. RC filter
This process is called rectification, we use an element called a
diode, which is made using silicon or germanium. The
rectification process is divided into two main types: IV. ENERGY STORAGE
This section will clarify the method of storing electrical energy
after being rectified and transformed into DC. Batteries are one
of the most usable method of storing energy by converting the
Half wave electrical energy into chemical energy and vice versa. They are
Rectification Bridge being used for its simple implementation and its large capacity.
Scientists classified the batteries according to its ability for
Full wave
Center- recharging:
Tapped 1- Primary batteries
2- Secondary batteries
The primary batteries can produce current immediately on
assembly. They are disposable and can be discarded after being
used. We can find them in portable devices such as alarm and
In our research, we will use the full wave bridge rectifier communication circuits. Whereas secondary batteries must be
because of its ease of implementation, cheaper cost & high charged before use, they are recharged by applying electrical
efficiency. The working principle of a full wave rectifier is currents, which reverse the chemical reactions that occur during
simple, the circuit diagram is given below: its use. In this paper, we will focus on rechargeable batteries
because of its ability to be charged and discharged. These
batteries can be classified into two main categories:
1- Lead Acid Batteries
2- Lithium-Ion Batteries
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Lead acid batteries consists of two electrodes in addition for Therefore, the change of variables lead to the following form:
electrolyte that maintain the connection between the electrodes. 𝑄 = 𝐶𝑓. 𝑣 + 𝑑. 𝑓 (3)
Lead represents the negative electrode, whereas lead-oxide
represents the positive electrode. The sulfuric acid is the 𝑢 = 𝑑. 𝑣 + 𝐾𝑣 −1 . 𝑓 (4)
electrolyte when the battery is charged, and in the case of being
discharged the electrolyte will be lead sulfide. On the other Where,
hand, lithium-ion batteries have a lot of configurations but the Q The charge (C)
most common is having a lithium-oxide on the positive u Displacement (m)
electrodes and carbon on the negative one. The principle of this
type is connecting the anode and the cathode into a dc voltage, The first right hand term in equation 3 recognizable as the
which in our case is the output of the full wave bridge rectifier. constitutive circuital equation of a capacitor, whereas the
So, redox reactions will take a place and a chemical energy will second is the charge induced on the piezoelectric particle
be stored in the battery. Consequently, when we want to use this surface as a consequence of the applied force. The first right
batteries, the stored chemical energy will be converted into hand term in equation 4 refers to the displacement generated as
electrical energy using redox reactions also, which will generate a consequence of the applied voltage, whereas the second term
an electromotive force that will let the current flow to the load. is represented by Hooke’s law, where Kv is the material stiffness
in (N/m) when a short circuit is applied between the metal
V. MODELLING A PIEZOELECTRIC SYSTEM surfaces collecting the charges.
This section shows the proposed model is derived starting from
the linear constitutive equations of the material and by means
of the formal electromechanical analogies. Given to the link
between the lumped elements of the circuit modeling the device
and the physical aspects. The constitutive equations of a
piezoelectric material establish a linear relation between two
electrical variables, respectively the electric field strength E
(V/m) and the electric displacement D (C/m2), and two Fig. 6. Schematic representation of the relationships of the
mechanical variables, respectively the stress σ (N/m2) i.e. the new four fundamental variables
∆𝑙
exerted force per unit area, and the strain = , i.e. the
𝑙𝑜
normalized deformation. - More details about the derivation and consecutive
equations can be found in [6].
𝐷 = 𝜀. 𝐸 + 𝑑. 𝜎 (1)
In this project we will use piezoelectric harvesting kit,
𝛿 = 𝑑. 𝐸 + SE. 𝜎 (2) manufactured by Piezo Systems Inc. The model used contains
of three major elements:
1- Piezoelectric bending generator
2- Piezo energy harvesting circuit
3- User application

Fig. 5. Schematic representation of the relationships between

the four fundamental variables.

Where,

𝜺 The electric permittivity of

the piezoelectric material at
null stress
𝐒𝐄 Elastic compliance at null
electric field strength Fig. 7. Energy harvesting Kit
A. The piezo bending generator
Multiplying both equation 1 with a conventional unit area and
equation 2 with a unit length. The new formulas is easily When the Energy Harvesting Bender is flexed, one layer is
modeled with lumped circuital elements since it refers to: compressed while the other is stretched, resulting in power
generation. It may be excited by intermittent pulses or
Cf Lumped capacitance continuously from low frequency to resonant frequency (where
Kv Lumped stiffness rated displacement is achieved at the lowest force level).
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[2] Aldo Romani, Rudi Paolo Paganelli, Marco Tartagani.

B. Piezo energy harvesting circuit
(2011). Fast and Reliable Modeling of Piezoelectric
The self-powered Piezo Energy Harvesting Circuit collects Transducers for Energy Harvesting Applications. Procedia
intermittent or continuous energy input from the piezo Engineering 25:1345 – 1348
generator and efficiently stores their associated energy in an on-
board capacitor bank. During the charging process, the
[3] Michal Staworko, Tadeusz UHL, (2008). Modeling And
capacitor voltage is continuously monitored. When it reaches
Simulation Of Piezoelectric Elements. Mechanics Vol.27 No.4
5.2V the module output is enabled to supply power to an
external (user) load. At this point 55 mJ of energy are available.
When “generator” energy input is high, the output voltage [4] Etienne Balmes, Arnaud Deraemaeker. Modeling Structures
remains ON continuously. Capacitor voltage is clamped at With Piezoelectric Materials. Theory and SDT tutorial.
6.8V. If external power demand exceeds generation, the output
voltage decreases. When the output voltage drops to 3.1V, [5] Petr Skladal. (2003). Piezoelectric Quartz Crystal Sensors
power to the load is switched OFF and is not turned on again Applied For Bioanalytical Assays And Characterization of
until the capacitor bank has been recharged to 5.2V. The circuit Affinity Interactions. J. Braz. Chem. Soc. vol.14 no.4
accepts input voltages from 0V to ±500V AC or DC and input
currents to 400 mA. [6] Paganelli RP, Romani A, Golfarelli A, Magi M, Sangiorgi
The energy produced can be stored into batteries to be used in E, Tartagni M, Modeling and characterization of piezoelectric
other applications such as charging cell phones, lighting and transducers by means of scattering parameters. Part I: Theory.
power other electrical equipment. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical; 160 9–18 (2010)
In al-Balqa Applied University, this project can be .
implemented in the hall of any building under the floors where [7] Pavegen. 2017, photograph. Bird Street shoppers
the students can generate electricity with their footsteps, and generating electricity just by walking down the Pavegen path
these energy can be stored and used later. installed in Bird Street, London

Author
Bayan A. Al Mashaleh
Electrical Engineering senior student, Al Balqa Applied
University, Jordan.

Fig. 8. Shoppers in London can turn footsteps into electricity

VI. CONCLUSION
The aim of this research is to find a suitable, reliable and
efficient source of power from the resources that surrounds us.
Generating electricity using mechanical stresses is a huge portal
because it will open the horizon for generating electricity using
our daily life habits such as walking. Piezoelectricity permits us
to generate portions of power can be collected and stored in
batteries then used in other applications. Piezoelectric
generated power proportionally related to the surface area of the
piezo and the amount of stress being applied. Applying this into
the hallway of crowded malls, buildings, etc. will help to save
huge amounts of money for generating power that is used for
lightning as example.

VII. REFERENCES
[1] Nayan HR (2015) Power Generation Using Piezoelectric
Material. J Material Sci Eng 4:171

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