Numerical study on influence of piezoelectric energy harvester on asphalt pavement structural responses

In recent years, energy harvesting technologies have been applied in pavement engineering. Piezoelectric energy harvesting in pavement aims to take advantage of the vehicle load on a road. Most of the existing theoretical and experimental research focused on the materials, structures, and shape of the energy harvesters to improve the efficiency of the output energy. However, few investigations have analyzed the compatibility of piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) and pavement. This study investigated the influence of PEHs on the structural response of asphalt pavement. Three-dimensional (3D) tire-pavement interaction finite-element models with and without a PEH were constructed according to a previous demonstration project. Several critical points within the pavement structures were selected and their mechanical responses induced by the passing tire were compared and discussed. A parametric study analyzed the pavement responses to different traffic speeds, tire loads, and bonding conditions between the PEHs and asphalt layers. Two potential optimization solutions for the PEH were explored. The results showed that the influence of the PEH on the asphalt pavement performance is significant in terms of the horizontal and vertical strains and von Mises stresses. A PEH causes potential permanent damage initiation in its adjacent area within the pavement structure. The maximum values of the horizontal tensile strains appeared at the bottom of the asphalt surface course in all pavement models with a PEH. These conclusions offer basic information for improving the practical design of PEHs in asphalt pavement.