A research group has developed a new energy-generating device by combining piezoelectric composites with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) Harvesting energy from vibrations, a commonly used material that is both light and strong. The new device converts sound from the environment to electricity, providing a safe and reliable way for personal sensors.
Details of the team’s research were published in the journal Nano Energy on June 13, 2023.
Harvesting is the conversion of energy from the environment into usable electrical energy and is critical to ensuring a sustainable future.
Fumio Narita, author and professor, says: “Every day things, from refrigerators to street lamps, are connected to the Internet as part of the Internet of Things (IoT), many n “they also have sensors that collect data. at the Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University. But these IoT devices require power to operate, which is difficult if they are in remote locations or is that there are many of them.
Sunlight, heat and vibration can create electrical energy. Vibration can be harnessed through the ability of the piezoelectric material to generate electricity when the body is under pressure. Meanwhile, CFRP lends itself to applications in the aerospace and automotive industries, sports equipment and medical equipment due to its durability and light weight.
“We were wondering if the Piezoelectric Vibrational Energy Harvester (PVEH), combining the strength of CFRP and piezoelectric composite, could be a more effective and sustainable way to harvest energy,” says Narita. saying.
The team made the device using a combination of CFRP and potassium sodium niobate (KNN) nanoparticles mixed with epoxy resin. CFRP served as both the electrode and the recovering substrate.
The device called C-PVEH met its expectations. Tests and simulations show that it can maintain high performance even after being run 100,000 times. It has been found that it can store the electricity produced in LED lighting. Also, it outperforms other polymer-based KNN composites in terms of energy output density.
C-PVEH will help accelerate the development of autonomous IoT sensors, leading to more efficient IoT devices.
Narita and his colleagues are also happy about the technological progress of their progress. “In addition to the social benefits of our C-PVEH device, we are proud of our contribution to the field of harvesting and sensor technology. The combination of high energy density and high stability may guide future research into other composites for various applications.”
Source: Tohoku University
