Wearable Core-Shell Piezoelectric Nanofiber Yarns for Body Movement Energy Harvesting

Abstract

In an effort to fabricate a wearable piezoelectric energy harvester based on core-shell piezoelectric yarns with external electrodes, flexible piezoelectric nanofibers of BNT-ST (0.78Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-0.22SrTiO3) and polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE) were initially electrospun. Subsequently, core-shell piezoelectric nanofiber yarns were prepared by twining the yarns around a conductive thread. To create the outer electrode layers, the core-shell piezoelectric nanofiber yarns were braided with conductive thread. Core-shell piezoelectric nanofiber yarns with external electrodes were then directly stitched onto the fabric. In bending tests, the output voltages were investigated according to the total length, effective area, and stitching interval of the piezoelectric yarns. Stitching patterns of the piezoelectric yarns on the fabric were optimized based on these results. The output voltages of the stitched piezoelectric yarns on the fabric were improved with an increase in the pressure, and the output voltage characteristics were investigated according to various body movements of bending and pressing conditions.