Analytical Modeling and Performance Study of a Piezoelectric Laminated Annular Plate for Rotary Energy Harvesting

A piezoelectric energy harvester based on the standing wave vibration of a piezoelectric laminated annular plate is proposed in this article. It can convert the rotary energy into the standing wave vibration energy of the piezoelectric laminated annular plate, and then the standing wave vibration of the thin plate can be directly converted to electrical energy through direct piezoelectric effect of the piezoelectric ceramics. The idea of utilizing the standing wave vibration of the thin plate for rotary energy harvesting is novel according to the existing literature. The proposed structure is particularly suitable for rotating mechanical energy harvesting for its simple structure, convenient installation and high power density. In this article, the energy harvesting structure is introduced in details, the analytical modeling is established to predict the steady-state output features of the energy harvester, and is verified by the finite element analysis (FEA) results as well.