Feasibility for Energy Harvesting from Surface Bonded/ Embedded Piezo-Patches in Addition to Structural Health Monitoring

Abstract

Energy harvesting and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) are individually considered somewhat established fields of research in themselves. The main objective of this research is to explore same piezo sensor for SHM as well as energy harvesting on real life structures, which is a new concept in itself. Preliminary experiments have been carried out in the laboratory environment to measure the voltage and power generated by PZT patches in the normal axial strain mode. An analytical model has been developed based on Euler Bernoulli’s theory for a beam under harmonic vibrations using which voltage output across a Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) patch bonded on the beam is determined. Also, the losses associated with the PZT patch are included in the model and quantified. Shear lag effect is also incorporated with varying thickness of adhesive bond layer. The measured output power from a piezo sensor 10×10×0.3 mm has been found to be of the order of few microwatts.