Analytical Modeling and Experimental Validation of an Energy Harvesting System for the Smart Plate with an Integrated Piezo-Harvester

The literature on piezoelectric energy harvesting (PEH) is strongly focused on structures, like cantilever beams with piezoceramic layers, due to the fact that they are easily modelled and implemented. As compared to the number of studies dealing with the aforementioned case, research on 2D structures with an attached piezoceramic patch harvester is very limited. Thus, an analytical modeling and experimental validations of a piezo harvester structurally integrated on a thin plate with SFSF (Simply supported-Free-Simply supported-Free) boundary conditions is presented in this paper. The distributed parameter electroelastic model of a harvester bonded to an aluminum plate with both piezo-patch actuators is developed on the basis of the Kirchhoff plate theory and the modal analysis for physical and modal coordinates. This allows to estimate the steady-state value output voltage for each odd mode in the frequency range of 10–300 Hz. Finally, the obtained results for the electroelastic analytical model is experimentally verified on a laboratory stand.