PIEZOELECTRIC HARVESTER PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS FOR VIBRATIONS HARNESSING

The paper aims to assess the performances of a piezoelectric device for harnessing the inherent vibrations of industrial equipment. The transducer is intended to power wireless sensors used for monitoring the operation of that specific equipment. Tests were conducted on the shaker table and on a test engine in order to validate the finite element model analysed in COMSOL Multiphysics. The model was validated to a great extent by experimental tests, regarding the mechanical and electrical parameters. Consequently, based on the FEM model, it was possible to estimate theoretically the maximum output voltage that can be generated.