Exploring the Effect of Piezoelectric Arrangement Pattern on Energy Harvesting Efficiency under Moving Load

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in harvesting energy from the vibrations and strains generated by vehicles. This article investigates the performance of different piezoelectric energy harvesting (PEH) arrays—rectangular, triangular, and circular—under the excitation of a moving load simulating tire strain from vehicle traffic. The piezoelectric elements are assumed to be linear, with no hysteresis, and adhered to a rigid substrate. The results reveal that the triangular array outperforms the other two arrays in terms of both open-circuit voltage and electrical energy output. The FEA simulation, performed using COMSOL Multiphysics, demonstrates that the symmetrical shape of the triangular array allows for a more uniform distribution of strain across the piezoelectric elements, resulting in maximum energy production. Triangular arrays of piezoelectric elements are thus concluded to be the most efficient for harvesting energy from tire strain. These arrays are recommended for applications such as powering tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), wireless sensor networks, and other low-power devices.

Keywords:

Piezoelectric energy harvester , Moving load , Finite element simulation , Tire strain , COMSOL Multiphysics