Energy harvesting via vibrations researchers develop highly durable and efficient device. Image Credit: Tohoku University.Fumio Narita, co-author of the study and professor at Tohoku University’s Graduate School of Environmental Studies said, “Everyday items, from fridges to street lamps, are connected to the internet as part of the Internet of Things , and many of them are equipped with sensors that collect data.
“We pondered whether a piezoelectric vibration energy harvester , harnessing the robustness of CFRP together with a piezoelectric composite, could be a more efficient and durable means of harvesting energy,” said Narita. The so-called C-PVEH device lived up to its expectations. Tests and simulations revealed that it could maintain high performance even after being bent more than 100,000 times. It proved capable of storing the generated electricity and powering LED lights. Additionally, it outperformed other KNN-based polymer composites in terms of energy output density.