An equivalent linearization technique for nonlinear piezoelectric energy harvesters under Gaussian white noise

•Equivalent linearization is proposed based on the least mean-squared error.•The method of normal truncation is applied to determine the equivalent coefficients.•The solution procedure is presented for the equivalent system.•The validity of the method is treated via numerical simulations.

An equivalent linearization technique is proposed to determine approximately the output voltage a nonlinear piezoelectric energy harvester excited by Gaussian white noise excitations. Equivalent linear system is derived from minimizing the mean-squared of the error. The linear equivalent coefficients are presented by the method of normal truncation. The exact solution of equivalent linear system is derived obtained. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated by numerical simulations.