Highly Reliable Real‐time Self‐powered Vibration Sensor Based on a Piezoelectric Nanogenerator. Issue 4 (25th January 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhu, Jie; Niu, Xushi; Hou, Xiaojuan; He, Jian; Chou, Xiujian; Xue, Chenyang; Zhang, Wendong
• Is Part Of: Energy technology. Volume 6:Issue 4(2018:Apr.)
• Page Start: 781
• Page End: 789
• Publication Date: 2018-01-25
• Subjects: nanogenerators -- piezoelectrics -- sensors -- vibration monitoring -- wearable electronics; Energy development -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Periodicals; 333.79
• DOI: 10.1002/ente.201700614
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2194-4288

Abstract

Abstract: With the diverse development in electronic devices, high cost, low reliability, and the need for battery power have been severe obstacles to restrict the wide application of sensors. In this work, we present a highly reliable, real‐time, self‐powered vibration sensor based on an enhanced piezoelectric nanogenerator (NG), which is heat resistant, waterproof, relatively low cost, and with a long lifetime. The enhanced piezoelectric NG is constructed into a double‐arched structure: the upper arched layer is the poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) film with designed optimum size, which can utilize the excellent piezoelectric potential of the d 31 mode; the lower arched layer is the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film covered by uniform trapezoidal microstructures and thereby increases the charge density of the piezoelectric NG. The piezoelectric NG output voltage with the double‐arched structure increased by 35.1 % upon applying a mechanical force of 5 N. Relating to improved steady voltage output performance, the enhanced piezoelectric NG was used as the sensitive element of a sensor with sensitivity of 2.21 V g −1 and linearity error of 5.91 % under a vibration amplitude of 6 mm. Moreover, the sensor not only exhibited stable repeatability and stability over long times, but it also steadily produced output performances after soaking in water temperatures up to 70 °C. Therefore, the highly reliable self‐powered vibration sensor presents prominent prospect for future application. Abstract : Self power : The authors present a highly reliable, real‐time, self‐powered vibration sensor based on an enhanced piezoelectric nanogenerator (NG), which is heat resistant, waterproof, relatively low cost, and with a long lifetime. The enhanced piezoelectric NG is constructed into a double‐arched structure: the upper arched layer is the poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) film with designed optimum size, and the lower arched layer is the PDMS film covered by uniform trapezoidal microstructures and to increase the charge density of the piezoelectric NG.