An analytical analysis of vibrational energy harvesting using piezoelectric energy harvester in a fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle

Fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the modern day have widespread applications in various reconnaissance, agriculture, military, and civilian operations. Their wide domain of application has placed the development of drone technology at the forefront. The energy harvesting in UAVs seems promising since it not only has the ability to lengthen flying time but also guarantees that no appreciable weight is added. The current article explores the concept of placing piezoelectric material patches on the UAV wing in order to extract energy from the vibration of the wing. This study uses a UAV's fixed NACA 2412 wing to harvest vibration energy by finding the location and placing a piezoelectric patch where it will produce the most voltage. The mode shapes generated are used to get the appropriate location to place the piezoelectric patch. The fixed-wing of a UAV with a piezo patch placed is subjected to a harmonically varying pressure load of 213.934 Pa and the behavior of the wing and its frequency response is analyzed in terms of displacement and voltage as output. The maximum voltage produced by the single piezoelectric patch is found about 0.11 V at the first mode shape of the wing. Embedding and increasing the patch at a location of high displacements help to harvest more energy and can be utilized for other purposes.