Using piezoelectric technology to harvest energy from pavement: A review

A key point in building a contemporary energy system is the search for sustainable and green energy. Many green energy sources exist in the road or pavement domain, such as solar, thermal, wind, and mechanical energy, etc. Under the repeated vehicle loads, stresses and strains are generated in the pavement, which can generate substantial mechanical energy. In recent two decades, there has been a growing scholarly preference for utilizing the piezoelectric effect to convert mechanical energy from pavement into electricity to supply low-power transportation facilities, pavement sensors, etc. This paper provides an in-depth review of state-of-the-art advances in road piezoelectric energy harvesters. The basic principle of piezoelectric energy harvesting and common piezoelectric materials were briefly introduced. The piezoelectric energy harvesters suitable for roads are thoroughly reviewed from five perspectives: structure, finite element analyses, protective packaging, management circuit, and application. Finally, the challenges faced by piezoelectric energy harvesters for pavements were summarized, and the potential research directions were also proposed. This review serves as a valuable reference for advancing road piezoelectric harvesting technology development.