Thickness Optimization Thickness Optimization

of a Piezoelectric Converter
for Energy Harvesting
M. Guizzetti
1
, V. Ferrari
1
, D. Marioli
1
and T. Zawada
2
1
Dept. of Electronics for Automation, University of Brescia, Italy
2
F Pi i A/S M itt K i t d D k
2
Ferroperm Piezoceramics A/S, Meggitt, Kvistgaard, Denmark
Presented at the COMSOL Conference 2009 Milan
Introduction
Extensive diffusion of sensing nodes and sensing networks Extensive diffusion of sensing nodes and sensing networks
(automotive, factory automation, entertainment, environment monitoring, security
systems,)
Main issue: power supply
Power harvesting
in principle unlimited lifetime
Batteries
limited lifetime
p p
unattended operation
sometimes limited output power
recharging/replacement/disposal
cost
Solar energy
Mechanical vibrations
Temperature gradients
Environmen
t
Thi ck ness Opt i mi zat i on of a Pi ezoel ect r i c Conver t er f or Ener gy Har vest i ng

1/ 12
Mechanoelectrical energy conversion
C i t h i Conversion techniques
electromagnetic (inductive)
electrostatic (capacitive)
piezoelectric piezoelectric
Direct piezoelectric effect: surface charge induced by a mechanical stress
Piezoelectric energy converter
unimorph cantilever shape (thick-film, MEMS technologies)
piezoelectric layer
+
V
Thi ck ness Opt i mi zat i on of a Pi ezoel ect r i c Conver t er f or Ener gy Har vest i ng
mechanical substrate
-
2/ 12
Use of COMSOL
I t f th t d Improvement of the converted energy
Optimization of the dimensions
piezoelectric layer thickness
Application modes
piezoelectric: mechanical / electrical behaviour
sinusoidal vertical acceleration application
generated charge / voltage
moving mesh: thickness change
t
a
+
V
Q
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
t
PZT + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Thi ck ness Opt i mi zat i on of a Pi ezoel ect r i c Conver t er f or Ener gy Har vest i ng
-
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Geometry
3D cantilever 3D cantilever
lenght L = 27 mm;
width w = 3 mm;
steel thickness t
l
= 200 m; steel thickness t
steel
= 200 m;
piezoelectric layer thickness t
PZT
= 60 m (poled along thickness)
t
PZT PZT
t
steel
L
piezoelectric layer
steel substrate
t
steel
Thi ck ness Opt i mi zat i on of a Pi ezoel ect r i c Conver t er f or Ener gy Har vest i ng
steel substrate
w
4/ 12
Mesh
M d h Mapped mesh
320 quad elements; 11808 degrees of freedom
2 elements
linearly spaced
4 elements
linearly spaced
20 elements
exponentially spaced
Thi ck ness Opt i mi zat i on of a Pi ezoel ect r i c Conver t er f or Ener gy Har vest i ng
p y p
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Governing equations
Pi l t i l Piezoelectric layer
strain-charge form
1 12
10
0 0 70 0 0 0
0 0 0 50 20 20
0 0 0 20 50 20
0 0 0 20 20 50

(
(
(
(
(
(
(

= Pa s
E
dE T S
E
70 0 0 0 0 0
0 70 0 0 0 0
(
(
(

0 11 0 0 0 0 (
dT E D
dE T s S
T
E
+ =
+ =
c
S = mechanical strain
T = mechanical stress [N/m
2
]
s
E
= elastic compliance [Pa
-1
]
1 12
10
0 0 0 5 5 . 2 5 . 2
0 0 11 0 0 0
0 11 0 0 0 0

(
(
(

= CN d
(
s = elastic compliance [Pa ]
d = piezoelectric coefficient [C/N]
D = electric displacement [C/m
2
]
E = electric field [V/m]
T
di l i i i i [F/ ]
0
50 0 0
0 50 0
0 0 50
c c
(
(
(

=
T
c
T
= dielectric permittivity [F/m]
1 12
10 5

= Pa x s
3
3000

= m kg
T S
Steel layer
Thi ck ness Opt i mi zat i on of a Pi ezoel ect r i c Conver t er f or Ener gy Har vest i ng
10 5 Pa x s
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sT S =
Subdomain and boundary conditions
Vertical acceleration Vertical acceleration
Body load F
z
= a
a = 0.1 g
= material density material density
Mechanical boundary conditions
clamped end
Electrostatic boundary conditions
bottom surface: grounded
f fl ti t ti l
floating potential
dt = 0 ; dn = deltaThick
upper surface: floating potential
other surfaces: zero charge
Mesh boundary conditions
bottom surface: clamped
vertical surfaces: normally clamped
upper surface: tangentially clamped
fixed dn = 0
GND
fixed
zero charge
Thi ck ness Opt i mi zat i on of a Pi ezoel ect r i c Conver t er f or Ener gy Har vest i ng
upper surface: tangentially clamped,
normally displaced (deltaThick)
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Solver parameters
P t i t d l Parametric segregated solver
group 1: moving mesh, static analysis
deltaThick: -50 m 340 m
2 i l t i i bl f group 2: piezoelectric variables, frequency response
frequency = 10 Hz
Thi ck ness Opt i mi zat i on of a Pi ezoel ect r i c Conver t er f or Ener gy Har vest i ng 8/ 12
1000
Results tip displacement
1000
m
e
n
t

[
n
m
]
t
i
p

d
i
s
p
l
a
c
e
m
t 60
100
10 100 1000
piezoelectric layer thickness [m]
t
PZT
= 60
m
PZT rigidity << steel rigidity
tip displacement const
PZT rigidity >> steel rigidity
tip displacement
n
PZT
t
1
t
PZT
= 400 m
Thi ck ness Opt i mi zat i on of a Pi ezoel ect r i c Conver t er f or Ener gy Har vest i ng 9/ 12
PZT

Results electrical output
5 E 03 8 E 13
3.E-03
4.E-03
5.E-03
o
l
t
a
g
e

[
V
]
6.E-13
7.E-13
8.E-13
[
C
]
voltage
charge
PZT rigidity << steel rigidity
charge: maximum
voltage: increases
1.E-03
2.E-03
o
p
e
n

c
i
r
c
u
i
t

v
o
4.E-13
5.E-13
c
h
a
r
g
e

voltage: increases
PZT rigidity >> steel rigidity
charge: decreases
0.E+00
0 100 200 300 400
piezoelectric layer thickness [m]
3.E-13
1.4
]
charge: decreases
voltage const
0 6
0.8
1.0
1.2
r
i
c
a
l

e
n
e
r
g
y

[
f
J
Stored electrical energy
0 0
0.2
0.4
0.6
s
t
o
r
e
d

e
l
e
c
t
QV E
2
1
=
05 . 1 =
substrate
PZT
t
t
Thi ck ness Opt i mi zat i on of a Pi ezoel ect r i c Conver t er f or Ener gy Har vest i ng
0.0
0 100 200 300 400
piezoelectric layer thickness [m]
2
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Results influence of the geometry
Diff t t i Different geometries Substrate
thickness
[m]
Width
[mm]
Length
[mm]
reference 200 3 27
geometry 1 300 3 27
geometry 2 200 6 27
geometry 3 200 3 10
geom 1
geom 2
Thi ck ness Opt i mi zat i on of a Pi ezoel ect r i c Conver t er f or Ener gy Har vest i ng 11/ 12
geom 3
Conclusions
FEM simulations used for optimizing the geometrical dimensions of a
piezoelectric energy converter
Geometry with parametrized thickness y p
piezoelectric application mode
moving mesh application mode
The optimal t
PZT
/t
substrate
was found for maximizing the electrical energy
The optimal t
PZT
/t
substrate
value is independent from the converter
dimensions dimensions
This model is a specific example of using moving mesh for device
geometry optimization geometry optimization
Thi ck ness Opt i mi zat i on of a Pi ezoel ect r i c Conver t er f or Ener gy Har vest i ng 12/ 12