Abstract:
Piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting (PVEH) from a quarter vehicle suspension (QVS) subjected to harmonic road excitation under different interface circuit using transfer function analysis and MATLAB Simulink has been studied. The transfer function analysis relates the voltage generated, and displacements of sprung and unsprung mass to the harmonic road excitation displacement. These results are confirmed by the simulation of MATLAB Simulink model. It shows that the voltage generated by PVEH depends on vehicle speed, sprung mass, relative displacement between sprung and unsprung mass, force factor, and load resistance. As the vehicle speed increases, excitation frequency increases and leads to an increased output voltage. When the unsprung mass is constant, increasing the sprung mass increases voltage and energy harvesting efficiency. In addition to transfer function analysis, a dimensionless analysis of harvested power and energy harvesting efficiency of PVEH from a QVS under standard interface circuit (SIC), synchronous electric charge extraction (SECE), and series or parallel synchronous switch harvesting on inductor (SSHI) interface circuit is investigated. For an optimum value of dimensionless force factor; the maximum dimensionless harvested powers of SIC, SECE, series SSHI, and parallel SSHI is 0.125 while the maximum energy harvesting efficiency is unity for SECE and series SSHI. At a vehicle speed of 80 km/hr, harvested power of SIC, SECE, parallel SSHI, and series SSHI is 5.49840908 W, 6.05892297 mW, 1.286438992 W, and 1.284991685 W respectively. Similarily, the harvested voltage of SIC, SECE, parallel SSHI, and series SSHI is 578.7124474 volt, 19.21064804 volt, 279.923202 volt, and 279.7656939 volt respectively. This implies that the maximum harvested voltage and power of SIC is improved by 110.73208 % and 121.7101 % respectively as compared to previous works which was 274.62 volt and 2.48 W.