Harnessing multi-stable piezoelectric systems for enhanced wind energy harvesting

With the ongoing evolution of microelectronic devices toward lower power consumption, the utilization of piezoelectric materials for energy harvesting from wind-induced vibrations has garnered considerable attention. This study employs a combined approach involving finite element analysis and experiments to investigate the energy harvesting efficiency of the multi-stable piezoelectric wind energy harvester (MPWEH) and compares its performance with two alternative systems. The MPWEH demonstrates higher strains in both the x and y directions during reciprocating cross-well vibrations, establishing its superior energy harvesting efficiency compared to the alternative systems. Notably, at a wind speed of 8 m s⁻¹, the MPWEH generates an output power nearly six times higher than local bistable piezoelectric energy harvester (LBPEH). The MPWEH achieves the maximum power density of 9.8125 mW cm⁻³, whereas the LBPEH registers the power density of 1.625 mW cm⁻³. The experimental results indicate that, under the optimal load resistance of 40 kΩ and a wind speed of 14 m s⁻¹, the MPWEH achieves a peak output power of 2.76 mW, with a power density of 17.25 mW cm⁻³. The versatile applicability of the MPWEH extends across various low-power consumption microelectronic devices, positioning it as a valuable candidate for empowering continuous monitoring sensors in diverse domains.