A flexible hybrid strain energy harvester using piezoelectric and electrostatic conversion

摘要

A new design of flexible energy harvester to utilize piezoelectric and electrostatic energy conversion mechanisms simultaneously from a single mechanical energy source is proposed. This non-resonant type harvester enables low-frequency mechanical inputs to be converted to electricity, and the polymeric structures make the harvester mechanically flexible, allowing it to be applied to non-planar surfaces. The fabricated harvester generated peak-and average power densities of 159 and 1:79 μW cm~(-2) respectively by piezoelectric conversion, and 52:9 μW cm~(-2) and 1:59 nW cm~(-2) respectively by electrostatic conversion from an input force of 1.2 N at 3 Hz. Considering its flexibility and ability to harvest mechanical inputs at frequencies below 3 Hz, lowfrequency human movements could be a potential energy source for the proposed hybrid harvester to exploit.