Size optimization of conical piezoelectric energy harvester

Abstract

This research focuses on the size optimization of the piezoelectric patches. The origin of the patch is fixed at an optimal location. Three parameters are chosen to define the size of piezoelectric patch, i.e., the circumferential width, the length from the origin to the minor end, and the length from the origin to the major end. Origin and sizes are derived according to the modal voltage. Next, solving the extremum of energy equation with respect to the three parameters yields the optimal size of the piezoelectric patch. Case studies are given to evaluate the energy outputs of the optimal piezoelectric energy harvester. The results prove that with origin located at the optimal location, the output energy of the piezoelectric patch firstly increases with the width as well as the length till the maximum, and then decreases with the spatial width and length parameters. The optimal width is always 75% of the half wave length.