Watts-level road-compatible piezoelectric energy harvester for a self-powered temperature monitoring system on an actual roadway

Abstract

Piezoelectric energy harvesting technology can be used for a wide range of purposes through the design of road energy harvesting devices. For the roadway piezoelectric energy harvester (RPEH) developed here, a piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) is fixed at both ends to increase the tolerable load and a module durable against harsh highway environments were developed using aluminum plates, steel plates, and polypropylene bars. A maximum voltage of 66 V, maximum current of 30.37 mA and maximum output power of 830 mW were measured with 2 mm of displacement at 15 Hz using the RPEH (50 cm x 20 cm) with 80 PEH units connected in parallel. On an actual high-speed road, measurements from a medium-sized vehicle which passes the RPEH at a speed of 90 km/h record an output voltage of 46.52 V-max, output current of 93.04 mA(max), and power of 4.3 W-max (power density: 43.0 W/m(2)) at a load resistance level of 0.5 k Omega. In an actual roadway environment, the electrical energy generated by the RPEH is sufficient to operate a temperature sensor and to transmit data wirelessly.