Author(s)

Wiwiek Hendrowati, Harus Laksana Guntur, I. Nyoman Sutantra

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya, Indonesia.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya, Indonesia.

This paper deals with the design, modeling and analysis of implementing a Multilayer Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvesting (ML PZT VEH) Mechanism in the vehicle suspension. The principle of work of the proposed ML PZT VEH mechanism is reducing the relative motion of the suspension, amplifying the applied force to the PZT by a specific design of mechanism and combining a single layer PZT into multilayer PZT to increase the produced electricity. To maintain the performance of suspension as the original suspension, the ML PZT VEH mechanism is mounted in series with the spring of the suspension. The proposed ML PZT VEH mechanism and its implementation to the vehicle suspension were mathematically modeled. Responses of the vehicle before and after implementing ML PZT VEH mechanism were simulated. The results show the proposed mechanism can produce output voltage of 2.75 and power of 7.17 times bigger than direct mounting to the vehicle suspension. And the simulation result shows that mounting ML PZT VEH mechanism in series with the spring of the vehicle suspension does not change the performance of suspension.

Vibration Energy Harvesting; Multilayer Piezoelectric; Force Amplifying Mechanism; Vehicle Suspension

W. Hendrowati, H. Guntur and I. Sutantra, "Design, Modeling and Analysis of Implementing a Multilayer Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvesting Mechanism in the Vehicle Suspension," Engineering, Vol. 4 No. 11, 2012, pp. 728-738. doi: 10.4236/eng.2012.411094.