On energy harvesting using piezoelectric transducer with two-port model under force excitation

Piezoelectric (PE) materials are functional materials that can be used for transforming mechanical stress into electrical energy, that can then be stored and used for powering other devices. In this paper, we provide experimental investigation of PE transducers used for energy harvesting under external force-controlled excitation. The lumped parameter electromechanical model (LPEM) has been assumed and brought into a generalized two-port network notation. Laboratory experiments using a universal test machine (UTM) were performed and used for the parameter identification of the model. The two-port model formulation is validated by comparing results of numerical simulations and experimental data. A numerical analysis of power conversion between the mechanical and electrical domains and potential energy harvesting capabilities of the PE transducer under stress are presented based on the experimental results.