Piezoelectric energy harvesters applied to wireless sensing

Abstract

The increasing demand for energy and the need for clean energy sources have driven a remarkable increase in research activity focused on the efficient management of energy resources. Among the emerging techniques, energy harvesting stands out for its ability to collect waste energy from clean and accessible environmental sources, such as light, vibrations and thermal gradients. Within these techniques, the use of mechanical energy in the form of vibrations is particularly interesting, since it does not depend on the availability of sunlight. This work presents some of the piezoelectric energy harvesters that we have developed specifically for powering wireless sensors. The main innovation of these devices lies in their self-powering capacity, eliminating the need for cables or batteries, which in turn reduces industrial maintenance costs and allows continuous remote monitoring, favoring the early detection of problems.