Energy harvesting with piezoelectric circular membrane under pressure loading

This paper presents a comprehensive theoretical model for predicting the energy generating performance of an energy harvesting device that uses a piezoelectric circular membrane subject to pressure fluctuation. PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) film is adopted for the membrane. In order to predict the power generating performance due to stretching and bending of the membrane, the total stress on the membrane, rather than the stress at the center point of the circular membrane, is determined using the energy method. Analytical results indicate that the theoretically predicted generated power of the device under normal blood pressure variation is close to experimental results available in the literature. This comprehensive model provides a useful design tool during parameter optimization for energy harvesters that use piezoelectric circular membranes for a pressure fluctuating system. (paper)