Session: 01-02-02: Adaptive and Multifunctional Structures

Paper Number: 137000

137000 - Tunable Energy Harvesting in Defective Phononic Crystals Based on the Elastic Foundation Effect 

Piezoelectric energy harvesting (PEH) is a highly promising field within environmental energy technology, holding significant potential for various applications. It relies on the conversion of mechanical energy, often obtained from environmental vibrations, into electrical energy through the piezoelectric effect [1, 2]. However, a notable limitation of PEH systems is their dependence on a fixed operating frequency, making them sensitive to the specific vibration conditions in their environment.

To address this challenge, several adaptable system designs have emerged. These innovative approaches aim to enhance adaptability and performance. They include the application of thermal stress, the removal of mass-spring resonators, the utilization of external magnetic fields, and the leveraging of electromechanical coupling properties to achieve programmable wave localization through inductance tuning. These tunable strategies offer promising solutions to maintain PEH system performance across varying environmental conditions.

This study introduces a novel approach involving a tunable elastic foundation system applied to defective phononic crystal structures. The newly developed phononic crystal integrates a periodically elastic foundation beneath a uniform beam. Defects are intentionally introduced by selectively removing specific elastic foundations and incorporating piezoelectric components. The study establishes explicit analytical solutions using the transfer matrix method and the spectral element method, which are then validated through comparison with finite element results. The results demonstrate that the periodic elastic foundations introduce bandgaps in the elastic wave band structure, while the absence of specific elastic foundations leads to the emergence of distinct defect modes. Furthermore, frequency response analysis reveals the potential for energy enhancement, albeit with inherent variations. Notably, changes in the elastic foundation's stiffness result in shifts in the resonant frequency of the output voltage. Consequently, the proposed tunable elastic foundation system shows significant promise in enabling versatile and adaptive configurations of phononic crystals, thereby advancing the field of PEH.

References

[1] Z.W. Wang, T.J. Li, A semi-analytical model for energy harvesting of flexural wave propagation on thin plates by piezoelectric composite beam resonators, Mech Syst Signal Pr, 147 (2021) 107137.

[2] Z.Z. He, G.Y. Zhang, X. Chen, Y. Cong, S.T. Gu, J. Hong, Elastic wave harvesting in piezoelectric-defect-introduced phononic crystal microplates, Int J Mech Sci, 239 (2023) 107892.

Presenting Author: Gongye Zhang Southeast University

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. Gongye Zhang is currently an associate professor of Engineering Mechanics at Southeast University, China. He obtained a M.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering in May 2014 from the UT-Dallas, and received a Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering in Dec 2018 from the Southern Methodist University. He has conducted research in multi-scale materials modeling, higher-order continuum theories, elastic wave propagation and micro- and nano-mechanics and has authored 61 journal papers and 1 conference publication. He has been a reviewer for over 20 journals.