Abstract:
The increasing demand of energy has highlighted the exploration of alternate sources of
energy. Non- renewable energy sources such as fossil fuels will run out one day. Moreover, the
potential harm done to the environment with their consumption has risen the need of green and
environmentally friendly energy sources. Piezoelectric based energy harvesters are gaining
popularity in this regard due to their light weight, ease of application, flexibility, and environment
friendly nature. Piezoelectric materials produce an electric current when placed under mechanical
stress.
In this project, we will create a small-scale demonstration model to depict the phenomenon
of piezoelectric energy harvesting. The model will be used afterwards as a lab equipment in the
Vibrations lab. The mechanical loading on the piezoelectric material will generate electric current.
The generated current can be used either to light up an LED or to charge a battery so that energy
can be stored for future use. The internal circuit consisting of Arduino UNO and multiple sensors
will be used to find the numeric values of concerned parameters and to plot their respective graphs.
The demonstration model can store data on an SD card or it can be shown on the display screen.
The model is a good addition to the Vibrations Lab and will provide future students with an insight
of this growing field of energy harvesting
