PIEZOELECTRIC ENERGY HARVESTING

                       

In the last few years, there has been an increasing demand for low-power and portable-energy sources due to the development and mass consumption of portable electronic devices. Also, the portable-energy sources must be associated with environmental issues and imposed regulations. In this context, piezoelectric materials are becoming a better alternative for energy generation and storage in future applications.  In locations where traditional power sources may not be available and long periods of unattended operation are required, the power may become inadequate. In such cases, some source of vibrating energy may be present in operation of the machine.

                       

                         A piezoelectric source is used to generate power for the operation of a microcontroller and radio transmitter. Also, the use of piezoelectric polymers in order to harvest energy from people walking and the fabrication of a shoe capable of generating and accumulating the energy is a new trend. It can be used in wearable healthcare applications where the healthcare device can harvest its needed power, and sense vital signs from the human body. Ecological security is an important issue in the current scenario. Pollution and ecosystem degradation is often encountered with many energy sources. The method of generating eco-friendly electricity using piezoelectric material helps reducing global warming. The model with piezo material converts the scavenged mechanical energy-vibration and rotation to electrical energy for powering the various electric devices. This allows the material to function as a power harvesting medium. The significance of the proposed approach results in generation of electricity in hilly areas using natural resources and in rural areas through tube-well water pressure.