Experimental Power Harvesting from a Pipe Using a Macro Fiber Composite (MFC)

Abstract

Piezoelectric material can be used to transform ambient vibration energy into small amounts of electrical power. As piezoelectric materials have been developing, such as lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT), Quick Pack (QP), macro fiber composite (MFC) and polyvinylidineflouride (PVDF), many researchers have been investigating their applications. This research investigates the possibility of electrical energy being generated by a macro fiber composite (MFC) patch mounted onto the surface of a pipe structure. In addition to the application of MFC, this research investigates the effect of varying load impedance to; the resonance frequency, voltage and electrical power generated by the structure. The results presented are for a large structure where most previous research on power harvesting has been undertaken on much smaller structures.