Experimental Study and Parameter Optimization of a Magnetic Coupled Piezoelectric Energy Harvester

Abstract

Piezoelectric energy harvesting is a promising way to develop self-sufficient systems. Structural design and parameter optimization are key issues to improve the performance in applications. This paper presents a magnetic coupled piezoelectric energy harvester to increase the output and bandwidth. A lumped parameter model considering the static position is established and various modes are simulated. This paper focuses on the “Low frequency repulsion mode”, which is more practical. The experiment platform is built with the Macro Fiber Composite (MFC) material, and the results are consistent with the analytical simulation. The optimization process of some key parameters, such as magnets spacing and flux density, is carried out. The results show that there is a corresponding optimal spacing for each flux density, which is positive correlated. With the optimized parameter design, the system achieves peak electrical power of 3.28 mW under the harmonic excitation of 4 m/s2. Compared with the conventional single cantilever harvester, the operated bandwidth is increased by 66.7% and the peak output power is increased by 35.0% in experiment.