Applicability evaluation of embedded piezoelectric energy harvester applied in pavement structures

Highlights: • The adaptabilities of typical structural combinations of power pavement are clarified. • The protection measures of energy harvesters are designed based on the characteristics of pavement rolling. • The adaptabilities of energy harvesters in different road application conditions are evaluated. -- Abstract: The piezoelectric energy harvester is buried in the pavement structure, the generated electric energy can be used for daily power supply in the city, and can also be used for traffic safety early warning power supply in mountainous corners. However, whether the energy harvester is suitable for the pavement structure directly affects its power generation performance and long-term performance. Therefore, the energy harvester is taken as the research object, and the adaptabilities of energy harvesters in different road application conditions are systematically evaluated. The adaptabilities of typical structural combinations of power pavement are clarified based on the application status of road engineering. The protection measures of harvesters are designed based on the stress characteristics of pavement. Finally, the adaptabilities of harvesters under different pavement structure combinations, different loads and different working temperatures are studied. The results indicate that the buried depth of energy harvester is inversely related to the electrical output effect. The Rubber Modified Asphalt-concrete, Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA), and Open Graded Friction Course (OGFC) on the upper layer are advantageous in terms of improving the electrical output effect of the power pavement. The electrical output in the heavy load section of medium temperatures (30–60 °C) is better although it is necessary to focus on the structural integrity of the heavy load section power pavement. Additionally, the strength of energy harvester satisfies the requirements for road construction and application phases. The findings will promote the practical application of piezoelectric energy harvester in road engineering.