A design method for low-frequency rotational piezoelectric energy harvesting in micro applications

A rotational piezoelectric energy harvester is an electromechanical device that converts ambient mechanical rotation into electric power. The gravity-based method of using the gravity to excite the cantilever beam to deform in the vertical plane has received great attention. The harvester operates effectively at a narrow frequency band, which must be matched with the excitation frequency. For micro applications, low-frequency harvesters are often very difficult to design due to the specific limitations of the size and weight and the thickness of the piezoelectric material. Moreover, low-frequency harvesters require high precision in production and assembly, and small errors can cause large frequency error deviations. In response to this problem, this paper proposes a scheme for designing low-frequency rotational piezoelectric energy harvester, wherein the tuning is accomplished by changing the distance between the mass and the center of rotation. Furthermore, the paper establishes a theoretical model and presents a relationship for frequency adjustment. The experimental results achieved with a piezoelectric fiber composite fit the theoretical results well. The simulation and experimental results show that the resonance frequency of the harvester could be decreased by 63% when the distance between the mass and the center is five times the length of the harvester.