Optimized piezoelectric energy harvesters for performance robust operation in periodic vibration environments

Energy harvesters with wide frequency range, long lifetime, and high output power are preferred to serve as power supplies for wireless devices. Motivated to guide the design of a robust energy harvesting platform, an analytical model based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory for a laminated beam is first presented to predict the nonlinear response of the system when subjected to harmonic base acceleration and tunable magnetic forces. Following experimental validation, a multi-objective optimization based on a genetic algorithm considers how to improve the frequency range of high performance, decrease peak strain level, and maximize output power by manipulating the design of the nonlinear energy harvester. The optimization results indicate that a slightly monostable configuration is superior when taking all three aspects into consideration.