Reduced‐order model for MEMS PZT vibrational energy harvester exhibiting buckling bistability. Issue 5 (1st March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Scerri, J.; Grech, I.; Gatt, E.; Casha, O.
• Is Part Of: Electronics letters. Volume 51:Issue 5(2015)
• Page Start: 409
• Page End: 411
• Publication Date: 2015-03-01
• Subjects: micromechanical devices -- energy harvesting -- vibrations -- buckling -- partial differential equations -- nonlinear differential equations -- finite element analysis; frequency 560 Hz -- voltage 0.6 V -- open‐circuit voltage -- power density -- electrical damping -- SINTEF piezoVolume process -- FEA -- finite element analysis -- nonlinear DE -- nonlinear differential equation -- nonlinear PDE -- nonlinear partial differential equation -- buckling clamped‐clamped beam -- buckling bistability -- MEMS PZT vibrational energy harvester -- reduced order model; Electronics -- Periodicals; 621.381
• DOI: 10.1049/el.2014.3804
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-5194

Abstract

Abstract : Estimating the behaviour of buckling clamped–clamped beams entails solving nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs). Several techniques are found in the literature that deal with such PDEs; techniques that also take into account initial curvatures and/or imperfections. However, when the system configuration is different from that of one single beam it becomes more involved. In this Letter, a buckling energy harvester is presented. Owing to the nature of its design, a nonlinear differential equation (not a PDE) capable of capturing all the salient characteristics of its behaviour could be developed. The effectiveness of the model is validated using finite element analysis. The energy harvester is designed using the SINTEF piezoVolume process and operated in the d 31 mode. With electrical damping only, the device, designed for validation purposes, achieved a power density of 0.13 mW cm −3 at 3.5 g ms −2 at 560 Hz and produced d 31 open‐circuit voltages of 0.6 V.