An electromechanical model for broadband piezoelectric energy harvesters with multiple plate systems

Abstract

This paper discusses vibrational energy harvesting, a technology that captures energy from ambient sources and transduces it into electric energy. The primary challenge in designing Vibration energy harvesters is that both power output and frequency bandwidth may not be simultaneously enhanced. Numerous studies have ventured into methodologies to augment power output and broaden the bandwidth for effective energy harvesting. However, these often hinge on beam structures, leading to intricate geometries that require substantial space. The research highlighted in this paper suggests innovative ideas based on multimodal energy harvesting techniques, devoid of the complexities inherent in previous designs. A semi-analytical electroelastic model for piezoelectric multi-plate energy harvesters, grounded in the principles of classical plate theory is proposed in this research. The mode shapes of the plate are numerically obtained using the differential quadrature method (DQM) under the clamped-free-clamped-free (CFCF) boundary conditions. Subsequently, modal analysis is employed to extract the output voltage of the system. The results are validated against pioneering research and various case studies are examined to explore the effect of diverse parameters on the magnitude and bandwidth of output voltage. The findings demonstrate that by fine-tuning the material properties of the harvester’s components, an optimal design can be realized. © 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.