Experimental field study on a full-scale road piezoelectric energy harvester

Abstract We designed a full-scale road piezoelectric energy harvester (FPEH) and performed field tests to evaluate its electrical performance under various traffic loads. Based on the open-circuit voltage waveform of the FPEH, its electrical output characteristics were established given different axle loads and vehicle speeds. New circuits were designed that can be used to identify the wheel track and wheel position of the vehicle and to determine the horizontal transfer characteristics of the vehicle vibration energy on the road surface. Two off-board circuits were designed for different applications of the FPEH. A parallel circuit rectifies 192 transducer units separately and then connects them in parallel. At a resistance load of 0.4 kΩ, vehicle speed of 60 km h −1 , and axle load of 1295 kg, this circuit generated a maximum output of 42 V, 104 mA, and 4338 mW. A single connection circuit rectifies eight transducer units separately and then connects them in parallel to form a total of 24 groups. The electrical performance was evaluated though finite element analyses and field tests. This research is the first to design and fully characterize the electrical performance of a FPEH. The proposed FPEH design significantly improves the driving-load vibration energy harvesting efficiency and produces a watt-level output which is a higher energy output than prior research. The findings obtained herein provide a good foundation for the application of road piezoelectric power generation technology.