Multi-physics simulation of a wind piezoelectric energy harvester validated by experimental results

Abstract

The growing research interest coming from the wide diffusion of wireless micro sensors and small electronic devices has given input on several studies towards Energy Harvesting (EH) as possible alternative to their powering in untraditional way. In the EH field the use of piezoelectric materials is developing rapidly. In this scenery, the aim of this paper is to evaluate the experimental and simulated behaviour and performances of an energy harvester, with the shape of a piezoelectric cantilever beam, subjected to wind induced-vibrations. The mathematical model is described by the Navier-Stokes equations and the constitutive equations of piezoelectric materials. The experimental setup is simulated using the software Comsol Multiphysics.