Piezoelectric energy harvesting from vibrations induced by jet-resonator system

Inspired by musical instruments that create high amplitude tones corresponding to resonator acoustic modes when subjected to airflow, a new piezoelectric energy harvester for powering the electronic system of aircrafts is developed. It converts the incoming airflow energy into electricity via a piezoelectric transducer during the flight. With the airflow simulated by an air cylinder, prototypes of the developed energy harvester are fabricated and tested. Experimental results show that the curve of sound pressure, corresponding to the first resonator acoustic mode, is a regular sinusoidal pattern. Within the study range of airflow velocity, a linear relationship can be found not only between sound pressure and airflow velocity but also between open circuit voltage and airflow velocity. A power of above 85 mW is released on a passive electric load of 3 kΩ by using a single piezoelectric element of 10 mm diameter at relative airflow velocity of 159 m/s. And the maximum total energy conversion efficiency of the piezoelectric energy harvester is about 1.2‰. It has laid a solid foundation for powering sensors or other devices, thus eliminating a need for batteries.