Simultaneous Energy Harvesting Using Dual Piezo-Solar Devices

This paper aims to develop a novel concept for energy harvesting via flexible inverted flags combining photovoltaic cells with piezoelectric material. Using technology currently available off-the-shelf, we have built dual piezo-solar harvesters made of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric elements combined with mini solar panels of different sizes. Dynamics and power generation experimental measurements were collected for the flags when simultaneously subjected to both wind and light sources. This allowed for an improved understanding of the effect of adding the solar panels on the motion and power generation characteristics. Additionally, flapping amplitude and frequency responses are confirmed using a lattice Boltzmann-immersed boundary numerical method. Results indicate a significant improvement in the capability of energy harvesting compared to isolated single piezoelectric devices. As such, we anticipate a significant impact of dual piezo-solar energy harvesting devices on a range of applications where remote power generation is needed.