Piezoelectric energy harvester
US7649305B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 27, 2008 |
| Grant date | Jan 19, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 27, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02B40/00
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A mechanism for capturing mechanical energy and converting it to electrical energy for use continually charging or providing emergency power to mobile, battery-powered devices comprises a plurality of elongated piezoelectric elements mounted at one or support points to one or more support structures. The plurality of piezoelectric elements are preferably structured and arranged so that at least each three-dimensional coordinate axis has at least one element with a dominant mode of deflection in a plane normal to the axis, in order to permit harvesting energy from forces applied in any direction without regard to the orientation of the energy harvesting mechanism to the source of forces. This results in improved coupling of the transducer with the random movements or vibrations that may not confined to any particular plane or in a plane that is not necessarily aligned with the plane in which a piezoelectric element is designed to bend, thus improving the efficiency of energy capture.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.