Optimization of the energy harvested by the effect of strain and frequency on an electrostrictive polymer composite

• Study of the electromechanical conversion efficiency of electrostrictive polymers.
• Influence of mechanical parameters on the energy performance of electrostrictive polymers.
• Frequency and strain range for good electromechanical conversion by electrostrictive polymers.

The harvesting of energy from ambient environments is an emerging technology with potential for numerous applications, including portable electronic devices for renewable energy. Most of the current research activities refer to classical piezoelectric ceramic materials but more recently the development of electrostrictive polymers has generated novel opportunities for high-strain actuators. At present, the investigation of using electrostrictive polymers for energy harvesting (a conversion of mechanical to electrical energy) is beginning to show potential for this application. Basically, the relative energy gain depends on the current induced by the mechanical strain and frequency. The aim of this work was to determine the optimum operating range for improved electro-mechanical conversion efficiency of electrostrictive polymer composite by the effect of mechanical parameters (mechanical frequency and the amplitude strain) that leads to an increase in the generated current and improve the output power in relation to the injected power. It was also found that the trend of the experimental data is in good accordance with that of the theoretical prediction. Finally, the results indicated that the frequency and the amplitude of mechanical excitation were the critical parameters for the best electromechanical conversion.