Investigating the Potential of Singly Curved Thin Piezoelectric Transducers for Energy Harvesting and Structural Health Monitoring

The main scope of our research is to comprehensively evaluate our newly invented, sensor concrete vibration energy harvester, compared to our existing sensor that is concrete vibration sensor for energy harvesting, as well as structural health monitoring. Recent developments in the field include innovatively designed local sensors, like DCVS, DCVH, and the Tipizodal variant, which can very easily replace expensive extras for full 3D model analysis and can be seamlessly integrated with AAML and UVM technology. In our view, the futuristic sensing technologies are AI, ML integrated with these electric sensors, fiber optics, and vision-based sensing.

Sensor fusion and internet of things hold a great promise for our future. The main challenge is the development of standalone pH powered autonomous and miniature cloud-centric data acquisition systems, qualifying IOT sensing in pro sense. Our new invention, CVH, based on a novel topology based design led by principles of mechanics, dramatically boosts harvested energy, severed force, and also exists in SHM, whether based on the global vibration techniques, or the local electromechanical impotence technique.

To begin, confirm that the electrical connections of the Piezo electric transducers remain protected throughout the casting process. Then position the reinforced concrete beam in a supported setup with an effective span of 1, 100 millimeters for experimental testing. Next, position a shaker at one third length of the beam.

Now, connect the concrete vibration sensor and concrete vibration energy harvester outputs to two channels of an oscilloscope. Fix an accelerometer with a sensitivity of 100 millivolts per G at the mid-span of the beam, then connect it to an ICP amplifier. Excite the reinforced concrete beam using the shaker in suite mode, and conduct the frequency domain analysis of the responses from the concrete vibration sensor, concrete vibration, energy harvester, and accelerometer.

Next, position an eccentric rotary type shaker at the mid-span of the beam. Connect and set up a speed controller to regulate the shaker. To analyze the power generated by Piezo transducers, first, prepare a power measurement circuit by connecting two resistors, R1 and R2, in series across the Piezo sensors.

Connect an oscilloscope across R1 to monitor the output voltage V2.Voltage readings are displayed in the oscilloscope. Start the shaker to induce vibrations in the reinforced concrete beam, and adjust the acceleration, using the speed controller. Using the oscilloscope, record the output voltage V2 from each sensor.

Then calculate the power generated by each sensor at the different acceleration levels. To assess the power storage potential of the Piezo transducers, set up the experimental apparatus without the power measurement circuit. Replace it with a simple full bridge rectifier circuit.

Start the shaker and induce vibrations in the reinforced concrete beam. Adjust the acceleration of the shaker using the speed controller. Using the oscilloscope, measure and record the output voltage VC from the rectifier circuit for both sensors.

Calculate the total energy stored and the average power achieved in the capacitor for both sensors, using the given equations. For structural health monitoring, connect an LCR meter to the desktop for the measurement of electrical admittance signature. Place a digital thermometer to ensure that a uniform room temperature is maintained throughout the experiment.

Excite the sensors by applying a harmonic electric potential across them at high frequencies in suite mode with the LCR meter. Then induce damage in the beam by drilling holes one by one. In the frequency domain, the peak frequency was identified at approximately 55 hertz for both transducers and the accelerometer, confirming the natural frequency of the beam.

In sinusoidal excitation, CVEH generated a consistently higher voltage than CVS over the same time interval. Across various excitation frequencies and shaker positions, CVEH consistently produced a higher open circuit voltage than CVS, particularly at one third and halfway positions from the beam support. The power generated by CVEH increased substantially with acceleration, with power ratios rising from 8.36 at 15.19 meters per second squared to 13.01 at 21.68 meters per seconds squared.

At a midpoint acceleration of 4.89 meters per second squared, CVEH charged the capacitor in 236 seconds, compared to 335 seconds by CVS. At a higher acceleration of 8.84 meters per second squared, CVEH achieved 8.65 micro watts of power, approximately 1.68 times that of CVS at 5.14 micro watts. For structural health monitoring, deviation from baseline admittance signatures was more pronounced in the CVEH than in the CVS, especially after successive damage stages.

The root means square deviation values between healthy and damaged stages were consistently higher in the CVEH than in the CVS for both conductance and susceptance.