Mechanic of Advanced and Smart Materials
Quarterly

Energy Harvesting from Beam Vibrations with Piezoelectric Patch under Transient Non-Contact Mass, Applicable in Speed Bumps

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Ramin Nasiri 1
Reza Tikani 2
Mostafa Ghayour 1

1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 8415683111, Iran

2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology

10.61186/masm.4.4.579
Abstract
This study proposes an innovative method for harvesting energy from vehicles as they pass over speed bumps by leveraging piezoelectric materials. The core aim is to harness mechanical vibrations produced by vehicle motion and convert them into electrical energy, which can then be used to power low-energy urban infrastructure, such as traffic sensors and street lighting. To simulate this process, a cantilever beam model fitted with a piezoelectric patch was utilized, with excitation through non-contact magnetic force. The equations of motion were formulated based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory and subsequently solved numerically using MATLAB. Experimental validation was carried out by testing the system at two distinct velocities of the passing mass and three varying distances between the mass and the beam. The results show a good correlation between the mathematical model and the experimental data, confirming the model's reliability. Analyses indicate that increasing the velocity of the passing mass causes a decrease in the output voltage, and increasing the distance of the object from the magnet also leads to a decrease in the magnetic force and a drop in the generated voltage. Moreover, the findings suggest that, when optimized, the system can deliver a promising level of efficiency in generating power.

Keywords

Energy harvesting
Piezoelectric
Traffic sensors
Speed bumps
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Mechanic of Advanced and Smart Materials
Volume 4, Issue 4
Winter 2025
Pages 579-596

  • Receive Date 14 January 2025
  • Revise Date 02 March 2025
  • Accept Date 17 March 2025

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