Development of Plucked Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting From Human’s Upper Limb Motion
This paper presents the design, modeling, and implementation of a plucked piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) optimized for human elbow motion. The proposed system leverages the advantages of upper-limb biomechanics, particularly elbow flexion during walking, to generate electrical energy suitable...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IEEE
2025-01-01
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| Series: | IEEE Access |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11121070/ |
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| Summary: | This paper presents the design, modeling, and implementation of a plucked piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) optimized for human elbow motion. The proposed system leverages the advantages of upper-limb biomechanics, particularly elbow flexion during walking, to generate electrical energy suitable for powering wearable electronics. A compact bimorph PZT-based PEH was selected and integrated with a mechanical plucking mechanism to enable frequency up-conversion from low-frequency body motion to high-frequency piezoelectric vibration. An electromechanical model predicting the electrical output and energy harvesting performance of a plucked PEH system was developed using Hamilton’s Principle and validated through experiments, showing strong agreement in voltage response and energy output. Implemented in MATLAB/Simulink, the model also served as a design tool for parametric optimization, allowing efficient tuning of system parameters prior to prototyping. Furthermore, parameter optimization through experimental tests identified a plucking distance of 0.16 mm and a load resistance of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$800\Omega $ </tex-math></inline-formula> as optimal for the decided bimorph PZT in energy harvesting. The developed prototype successfully demonstrated repeatable energy generation ranging from 22–<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$33~\mu $ </tex-math></inline-formula> J per elbow movement cycle under simulated motion. This work offers a validated framework for future development of energy-autonomous wearable devices that are lightweight, compact, and ergonomically compatible. |
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| ISSN: | 2169-3536 |