Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Using PZT Bimorphs and Multilayered Stacks

Piezoelectric materials have a unique ability to interchange electrical and mechanical energy. This property allows the absorption of mechanical energy such as ambient vibration and its transformation into electrical energy. The electrical energy generated can be used to power low-power electronic devices. In the present study, energy harvesting by lead zirconate titanate (PZT) multilayer (ML) stacks and bimorphs is presented. The devices were fabricated by a tape casting technique and were poled at 2 kV/mm for 30 min immersed in a silicone oil bath maintained at 60A degrees C. The energy harvesting characteristics of the fabricated devices were measured in a suitably assembled test setup. The output voltage obtained from the PZT bimorphs and ML stacks was 450 mV and 125 mV, respectively. The higher output voltage from the bimorph is due to its low capacitance.