Development of a Piezoelectric based Energy Harvesting system

for Autonomous Wireless Sensor Nodes

Andrs Felipe Gomes-Casseres Espinosa
1,a
, Luis Francisco Combita Alfonso
1,b
1
Facultad de Ingeniera, Universidad Distrital Francisco Jose de Caldas. Colombia.
a
afgomezc@correo.udistrital.edu.co,
b
lfcombita@udistrital.edu.co

Andrea Sanchez Ramirez
2,c
, Richard Loendersloot
2,d
, Arthur Berkhoff
2,e
2
Chair of Dynamics Based Maintenance, University of Twente, The Netherlands.
Enschede 7500 AE, The Netherlands. Phone +31-(0)534893405
c
a.sanchezramirez@utwente.nl,
d
r.loendersloot@utwente.nl,
e
a.p.berkhoff@utwente.nl
Abstract
The development of Smart Wireless Sensors promises a significant contribution to the
performance monitoring of complex mechanical systems, being a main goal of Structural
Health and Condition Monitoring. The autonomy and embeddedness characteristics of these
sensors support their positioning in locations traditionally forbidden for wired sensors, such as
rotating blades. However, the main limitations for the development of autonomous wireless
sensors ly on the energy availability from the node surrounding and the energy management
for efficient operation of the signal processing and wireless communication.
The research on this paper is framed on the project WiBRATE for developing on-blade sensors
for helicopter rotor blades. This scenario poses significant challenges, both from the
mechanical and electronics domain. The mechanical restrictions refer to the integration on the
host structure with a minimal disruption, in terms of weight, size, connectivity, etc. The
electronic perspective relates to the available power and energy efficiency for fulfilling the
functions of the smart node. The two sets of constraints have been addressed by using energy
harvesting system consisting of piezoelectric transducers and a specialized circuit for energy
processing.
In order to enhance the power extraction from the piezoelectric device, various energy
processing circuit topologies such as Direct Current Impedance Matching (DCIM), Synchronized
Switch Harvesting on Inductor (SSHI), Synchronous Electric Charge Extraction (SECE) and Boost
Integrated with Flyback Rectifier/Energy Storage/DCDC Converter (BIFRED) are compared.
The evaluation of circuit performance is based on Isolation, Power Factor (PF) and Total
Harmonic Distortion (THD), need of control and possibility for regulation as seen on Table 1.
The control system improves the power factor of the circuit and provides the necessary
regulation of the voltage on the load; while the magnetic isolation, provided by the
transformer, electrically decouples the load from the energy source, protecting the load from
unexpected behavior of the source.


Circuit Isolation High PF Need of control Regulation
DCIM No No No No
SSHI No No Yes No
SECE Yes
Yes (without
regulation)
Yes
Yes (decreasing
PF)
BIFRED Yes Yes Yes Yes
Table 1: Qualitative comparison between Energy Harvesting Circuits.
The BIFRED circuit (figure 1) is chosen for further implementation due to the regulation,
energy storage and high PF features. The circuit is designed to operate in the Discontinuous
Conduction Mode (DCM) mode in order to avoid the high peak voltages presented in the
Continuous Conduction Mode (CCM). An analytical model of the circuit is developed using the
averaged switch modeling technique; this model is used to design the control circuit needed to
ensure the circuit operation. An input filter is designed and included in the previously derived
model to improve the circuits PF.

Figure 1: BIFRED circuit schematic.
The verification of the BIFRED circuit and related control circuit is verified for the DCM mode of
operation. The power factor and power efficiency are measured using a test signal.
Furthermore, the circuit is also tested using a mechanical setup composed by a clamped beam
using MCF M8528P2 piezoelectric element, subjected to root excitation.
Further development includes tests using the smart node device performing a digital
processing function as in a realistic smart network based monitoring system. This will further
support the integration of a wireless communication system and provide insight in the power
consumption of the entire system.