Progress In Science and Engineering Research Journal

ISSN 2347-6680 (E)

HYDRO WAVE ELECTRO GENERATOR: A PIEZO

GENERATOR
Vivek Singh Rana
UG Student, Department of ECE
SRM University NCR Campus, Ghaziabad, India
Abstract: This paper deals with method for power
harvesting from periodic pressure of water. This paper

BACKGROUND AND HISTORY

show average electricity of 150 KWh per hour, 240

Piezoelectricity is the ability of certain crystalline

Voltage is obtained by periodic pressure of 2700 N from

materials to develop an electrical charge when stress

river water. The reference is taken at Haridwar

is applied. The converse effect can also be seen in

Uttarakhand, India. Flowing water of river have high

these materials where strain is developed proportional

pressure. This pressure can be converted to electricity by

piezoelectric

crystal.

These

pressure

is

given

to

to an applied electrical field. It was originally

discovered by the Curie's in the 1880's. Today,

piezoelectric material Piezoelectric material converts these

periodic pressure into electrical energy This paper is to
provide a theoretical system and a method for power

piezoelectric materials for industrial applications are

lead based ceramics available in a wide range of

harvesting comprising piezoelectric embedded in a river to

properties. Piezoelectric materials are the most well-

produce electrical power when river water moves with

known active material typically used for transducers

high pressure.

as well as in adaptive structures. One of the most

suitable methods for obtaining the energy from

Index Terms: PZT 5A, Lead Zirconate Titanate,

,Piezoceramic.

surrounding a system needed is achieved by using

piezoelectric crystals. The piezoelectric crystals are

I. INTRODUCTION

subjected to vibration they generate a voltage,

commonly known as piezoelectricity. It has a

Man has needed and used energy sources at an

increasing rate for his purpose. Due to this a lot of
energy resources have been exhausted and wasted.
There is urgent need of source of energy which not
only uses waste produced by humans but also have no
harmful impact on the environment like emission of
harmful gases like carbon dioxide. India has many
rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, and Satluj etc. The
utilization of waste energy from periodic pressure
produced from river water is very much relevant and

basically crystalline structure that converts an applied

vibration into an electrical energy. These properties
allow the material to function as a power harvesting
medium. Piezoceramics find applications in servovalves. In common- rail systems they enable fine
electronic control over the injection time and amount
of fuel which is put into cylinder in combustion
engine (Kneba and Makowski 2004).Recently it is
used in tracks of railway , roads and runways in
israel(Infowattech) and many other countries.

this paper verifies that it can be made possible for

utilization also. The piezoelectric crystals convert the

II. PIEZOELECTRIC EFFECT

mechanical pressure into electrical energy this energy

can be tapped and converted to electrical form. In this
paper, piezoelectric crystals were used as a medium.
These piezoelectric crystals convert the mechanical
pressure into electrical energy.
Corresponding Author: Mr. Vivek Singh Rana, UG Student,
Department of ECE,SRM University NCR Campus, Ghaziabad,
India
Email Id: vivekrana93@gmail.com

The piezoelectric effect is exhibited by a number of

naturally-occurring crystals, for instance quartz,
Tourmaline and sodium potassium tartrate. For a
crystal to exhibit the piezoelectric effect, its structure
should have no center of symmetry. A stress (tensile
or compressive) applied to such a crystal will alter the
separation between the positive and negative charge

2014 PISER Journal

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PISER 14, Vol.02, Issue: 04/06 July-August; Bimonthly International Journal
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Progress In Science and Engineering Research Journal

ISSN 2347-6680 (E)

sites in each elementary cell leading to a net

material first depoles and finally repoles. Poled

polarization at the crystal surface. The effect is

piezoelectric material is considered transversely

practically linear, i.e. the polarization varies directly

isotropic, i.e.: one plane is isotropic while the out-of-

with the applied stress, and direction-dependent, so

plane direction has different properties. The standard

that compressive and tensile stresses will generate

coordinate convention adopted by the IEEE [IEEE

electric fields and hence voltages of opposite polarity.

Standard on Piezoelectricity, 1976-1978] assigns the

The mechanical strength values of Piezo ceramic

1-2 planes as the plane of symmetry and the 3-

material up to 250 MPa (2500 x 10 N/m) before it

direction as the-out of-plane poling direction. For a

breaks mechanically. For practical applications, this

small applied electrical field, the response of the

value must not be approached because depolarization

piezoelectric ceramic can be modeled by the

occurs at pressures on the order of 20 to 30 % of the

following linear piezoelectric constitutive expressed

mechanical limit. Besides the crystals mentioned

in matrix notation as:

above, an important group of piezoelectric materials

are the piezoelectric ceramics, of which PZT, or lead
zirconate titanate (Pb[Zr(x)Ti(1-x)]O3 is an example.

[ S ] = [ sE (d)T] { T }
[ D] [ d
T ] { E }
(1)
where Delectrical displacement, Sstrain, E
electric

field,

Tstress,

Tconstant

stress

(unclamped) dielectric, dinduced strain constant,

sEconstant field compliance.
Mechanical compression or tension or stress on a
poled piezoelectric ceramic element changes the
Fig .1Crystal Architecture

dipole moment of ceramic, creating a voltage. Stress

These materials are represented by the formula ABO3,

along the direction of polarization, or tension

Perovskite

A-site

perpendicular to the direction of polarization,

denotes large divalent metal ion such as Pb and B-site

generates voltage of the same polarity as the poling

denotes smaller tetravalent ion such as Ti or Zr (Fig

voltage. Tension along the direction of polarization or

1) The maximum charge density which can be

compression perpendicular to the direction of

generated is about 0.275 C/m2 once a PZT-5A

polarization, generates a voltage with polarity

crystalline

structure

wherein

element has produced a charge density of 0.275 C/m ,

opposite that of the poling voltage. These actions are

as for the dynamic case, it is almost completely

generator actionsthe ceramic element converts the

irreversibly depolarized.

mechanical energy of compression or tension or stress

III. MATHEMATICAL THEORY OF

PIEZOELECTRIC

into electrical energy. Values for compressive stress

and the voltage (or field strength) generated by
applying stress to a piezoelectric ceramic element are

Newly piezoceramic materials must be first poled to

linearly proportional up to a material-specific stress.

utilize their complete piezoelectric effect. Poling

The same is true for applied voltage and generated

consists of applying a high electrical field to the

strain. If a voltage of the same polarity as the poling

material. During the poling process the crystal dipoles

voltage is applied to a ceramic element, in the

in the material are aligned with the applied electrical

direction of the poling voltage, the element will

field and the material expands in the direction of the

lengthen and its diameter will become smaller. If a

electrical field. By applying a field in the opposite

voltage of polarity opposite that of the poling voltage

direction, strain of opposite sign is observed. If the

is applied, the element will become shorter and

magnitude of this opposite field is increased, the

broader for conserve piezoelectric effect.

2014 PISER Journal

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PISER 14, Vol.02, Issue: 04/06 July-August; Bimonthly International Journal
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Progress In Science and Engineering Research Journal

The piezoelectric material has a capability to change
mechanical stress into electrical energy. Widely used

ISSN 2347-6680 (E)

P = 1 d2 F2 f P
2 ox A

(8)

piezoelectric materials are based on lead zirconate

Where V=At is volume of the piezoelectric

titanate (PZT) ceramics. PZT element can be directly

generator

used as a transducer, the significant material

parameters can be utilized to provide the material
figure of merit. There are many factors that influence
the selection of the PZT material. The constitutive
equations for a linear piezoelectric material under
Fig.2 (Cylindrical Piezoelectric)

stress (T) levels can be written as

Fig.2 shows the construction of a single element

D

x=s T+gD

(2)

and

Fig

3a

show a

multi-layered

transducer. In a multilayered construction of FIG. 3b,

and
E=gT+ X D

transducer

(3)

the same force F is applied to all the layers. However,

due to the smaller thickness of each layer, the voltage

where x is the strain, D is the electric displacement, E

developed in each of the layer, (which is the voltage

is the electric field, s is the elastic compliance, and g

developed on the entire structure, as the layers are

is the piezoelectric voltage coefficient given as

electrically

g=

d
ox

connected

in

parallel)

is

lower.

Electrically connecting the entire layer in parallel

(4)

increases the capacitance of the structure. In this case

Here, d is the piezoelectric constant and is the

dielectric constant. The constant in eq. (3) is the
dielectric susceptibility, and is equal to the inverse
dielectric permittivity tensor component. Under an

all the PZT disks are polled in the same direction, and
all are electrically connected in parallel.

FIG. 3b

shows a multilayer PZT generator where in the

polling directions of consecutive layers are reversed.

applied force F=PA, (where A is the area), the open

circuit output voltage (V) of the ceramic can be
computed from eq. (5), and is given as
V = Et = - gPt = - gFt
(5)
A
Where t is the thickness of the ceramic, P is stress

Fig.3a (Upper view)

applied. The charge (Q) generated on the piezoelectric

ceramic can be determined from eq. (6) and is given
as
D = Q = E = Uox
A x
t
Or

(6)
Parallel Piezoceramic

Q = oxA = C
t
(7)
Where C is the capacitance of the material. The above
relationship shows that at low frequencies a

Fig.3b (side view)

PZT
Generator

piezoelectric plate can be assumed to behave like a

parallel plate capacitor. Hence, the electric power
available is given by eq. (8) as follows:

D1 Cp
Fig .4 (Half Rectifier)

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PISER 14, Vol.02, Issue: 04/06 July-August; Bimonthly International Journal
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forces applied to the PZT transducer to capacitor C.

Rectifying bridge FR prevent electrical charge
accumulated on capacitor C from returning to the
transducer once the load is removed from said
transducer. Thus, the charge on capacitor C remains
until it is utilized by a load connected to load output;
however, it is clear to see that system better utilizes
Fig.5 (Full Rectifier)

the generated charge and thus has higher energy

Fig.3a show a multi element PZT stack comprising

efficiency.

each having the same thickness t and surface area

IV.RESULT

A. Electrical insulator need to be inserted between

contact electrodes of adjacent elements we connect

I take a PZT- 5A piezoceramic of cylindrical shape of

connectors as top electrode and bottom electrode

radius 30 mm and height 40mm(fig2).I take

respectively

haridwar,India

for

taking

charge

generated

by

as a reference , I calculated the

Piezogenerator. A PZT cylinder can generate voltages

pressure of water in chain used under bridge as shown

that are high enough to draw a spark across an

in (fig.6) by pitot tube. I plan to use piezoceramic

electrode gap, and such sparks can be used to ignite

material above chains (Fig.6).

combustible gases in for instance cigarette lighters or

gas stoves .Moreover, a part of the energy generated
by a PZT transducer can be stored in a capacitor and
can be used to power a circuit as can be seen in (Fig.
4).In the generation and storage apparatuses shown in
Fig.5,

charge

generated

by

the

piezoelectric

transducer is stored in the energy storage device such

a capacitor. The rectifier, schematically depicted by
diode D1, holds the collected charge at the capacitor
until it is utilized by the load. (Fig.4) shows a single
Fig6. (Chains over piezoceramic is used)

diode rectifier and an energy harvesting system using

a single diode rectifier D1, while (Fig 5). shows a full

I see an average voltage of 240 V(fig.7), average

rectifier comprising a four diodes bridge. Although

Power of 5015 W

the PZT transducer in both( Fig.3a and 3b) appear as

KWh/h(fig.8) is obtained by periodic pressure of

a single element having top electrode and bottom

2700N of river water .I am taking 30 PZT-5A under

electrode, the PZT transducer may be a multi-element

one bridge (fig.6)connected them in series and I am

structure such as shown in (Fig 3a or in Fig. 3b).

giving

Rectifying diode D1 prevent electrical charge

lines(fig.9).

that

energy

and average

directly

energy of 150

to

transmission

accumulated on capacitor C from returning to the

transducer once the load is removed from said
transducer. Thus, the charge on capacitor C remains
until it is utilized by a load connected to load output.
Fig 5 depicts an energy harvesting system using a full
rectifier comprising a four diodes bridge FR
Rectifying bridge FR comprising four diodes directs
charge generated by both compression and extension

Fig.7- (Simulation graph of voltage per piezoceramic)

2014 PISER Journal

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PISER 14, Vol.02, Issue: 04/06 July-August; Bimonthly International Journal
Page(s) 032-036

Progress In Science and Engineering Research Journal

ISSN 2347-6680 (E)

So that electricity can be reached to distant places.

our Gratitude to my father Shri Raj Kumar Singh

And capacitor can be used as storage device (fig5).

Rana, chief Loco Inspector, Moradabad division

Northern Railway, India for inspiring for this paper to

V CONCLUSION
The Design of an energy harvesting (through
vibrations) model depends on the nature of available
pressure source. This paper presents a theoretical
analysis of power generation with PZT ceramics.
Several important considerations in designing such
generators are there such as parameter identification;

us.

REFERENCES
[1]. Compact Piezo-Based High Voltage Generator - Part I: QuasiStatic

Measurements

G.

Staines,HelmutHofman,

Josef

Dommer ,L.L. Altgilbers, Ya. Tkach

[2]. Piezoelectric properties of 3-X periodic Pb.ZrxTi1x.O3
Polymer composites James E. Smay, Joseph Cesarano III and
Bruce A. Tuttle, Jennifer A. Lewisa)

load matching, voltage generation, stress, strain,

[3]. Mohammad mehdizadeh ,Sabu john,Chunh wangdelination

efficiency, energy conversion, and energy storage. An

of Structure damage from piezo fibro based degration

application of this analysis is presented where

Mohammad Mehdizadeh et al. / International Journal of

electrical energy is generated from river water

periodic pressure. Measurements and numerical
predictions of vibration from locomotive have been
presented in this paper.

Engineering Science And Technology (IJEST)

[4]. Patent US20090195124 Energy harvesting from airport
runway.
[5]. Patent-US7812508 Power harvesting railways ;apparatus
system and method
[6]. R.A.Dorey & R.W.Whatmore Apparent reduction in the value
of The d33 piezoelectric coefficient in PZT thick films
Preprint of Paper: R.A. Dorey, R.W. Whatmore, Apparent
reduction in the Value of the d33 piezoelectric coefficient in
PZT thick films, Integrated Ferroelectrics, 50, pp111-119,
2002.
[7]. Energy harvesting from highly unsteady fluid flow using
piezoelectric material by Huseyin dogus akaydin, niel elvin &
yiannis in Journal of intelligent material system and
structure25 may 2014.
[8]. Sparkler ceramic http://sparklerceramics.com/pdf/SP-010-

Fig.8 (Simulation Graph of Energy)

A thin film of piezoelectric power generator is

05.pdf

Authors Profile

developed using a d33 mode of piezoelectric

transducer. The simulation results show how large

Mr.Vivek Singh Rana, B.Tech (4th year ) in

Electronic and Communication Engineering

amount of energy is obtained from pressure of river

at SRM University NCR campus Ghaziabad

Thus; this can be a better source of energy in future.

U.P , India, Area of interest is Renewable

Energy.

Fig.9-(Transmission grid)

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
There are far too many people to try to thank them all;
many people have contributed to development of this
paper. We owe our deep regards and honor to express

2014 PISER Journal

http://.piserjournal.org/
PISER 14, Vol.02, Issue: 04/06 July-August; Bimonthly International Journal
Page(s) 032-036