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PVDF-TrFE Electroactive Polymer Mechanical-to-Electrical Energy Harvesting Experimental Bimorph Structure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2017

William G. Kaval ,
Robert A. Lake  and
Ronald A. Coutu Jr.
William G. Kaval*
Affiliation:
Air Force Institute of Technology, 2950 Hobson Way, Wright-Patterson, OH45419, U.S.A.
Robert A. Lake
Affiliation:
Air Force Institute of Technology, 2950 Hobson Way, Wright-Patterson, OH45419, U.S.A.
Ronald A. Coutu Jr.
Affiliation:
Marquette University, 1637 W. Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI53233, U.S.A.
*
*(Email: william.kaval@us.af.mil)

Abstract

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Research of electrostrictive polymers has generated new opportunities for harvesting energy from the surrounding environment and converting it into usable electrical energy. Electroactive polymer (EAP) research is one of the new opportunities for harvesting energy from the natural environment and converting it into usable electrical energy. Piezoelectric ceramic based energy harvesting devices tend to be unsuitable for low-frequency mechanical excitations such as human movement. Organic polymers are typically softer and more flexible therefore translated electrical energy output is considerably higher under the same mechanical force. In addition, cantilever geometry is one of the most used structures in piezoelectric energy harvesters, especially for mechanical energy harvesting from vibrations. In order to further lower the resonance frequency of the cantilever microstructure, a proof mass can be attached to the free end of the cantilever. Mechanical analysis of an experimental bimorph structure was provided and led to key design rules for post-processing steps to control the performance of the energy harvester. In this work, methods of materials processing and the mechanical to electrical conversion of vibrational energy into usable energy were investigated. Materials such as polyvinyledenedifluoridetetra-fluoroethylene P(VDF-TrFE) copolymer films (1um thick or less) were evaluated and presented a large relative permittivity and greater piezoelectric β-phase without stretching. Further investigations will be used to identify suitable micro-electromechanical systems (MEMs) structures given specific types of low-frequency mechanical excitations (10-100Hz).

Keywords

ferroelectricmicroelectro-mechanical (MEMS)polymer
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Advances , Volume 2 , Issue 56: Energy Storage and Conversion , 2017 , pp. 3441 - 3446
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2017

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