AKNOWLEDGEMENT

We as a team would like to express our deep and sincere gratitude to our project supervisor

Er. Abinash Chauhan,

Assistant Professor at Green Hills Engineering College, Solan.

To help us along the way to create our project report. We came to learn a lot of other skills though
the means of the project. We are also thankful for his flexible and humorous approach towards us
and the project.

We would also like to thank other faculty members for helping us along the way and helping this
project reach its maximum potential.

At last, we would like to thank each other for the support that made this project a great learning
experience and fun and learning one all at the same time.

Regards,

Group

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CONTENTS

 The Objective of the Project

 Clean Energy
 What is Clean Energy?
 The need of Clean Energy.
 Scope of Clean Energy.
 Piezoelectrics
 The Basic concept of piezoelectrics.
 Mechanism of piezoelectricity.
 Piezoelectric Effect and Electricity Generation
 Energy harvesting in Piezoelectrics
 Piezoelectric Materials.
 Factors affecting power generation.
 Relationship between various factors and Energy production.
 Piezoelectrics in Buildings
 Concept of the project.
 Practical application of the concept.
 Use of the concept at different Venues.
 Advantages and Disadvantages of Concept.
 Effect on the field of Power Generation and
Clean energy.
 Conclusion
 References

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Abstract:

In last few years low power electronic devices have been increased rapidly. The
devices are used in a large number to comfort our daily lives. With the increase in energy
consumption of these portable electronic devices, the concept of harvesting alternative
renewable energy in human surroundings arises a new interest among us. In this project
we try to develop a piezoelectric generator. That can produce energy from vibration and
pressure available on some other term (Like people walking). This project describes the
use of piezoelectric materials in order to harvest energy from people walking vibration for
generating and accumulating the energy. This concept is also applicable to some large
vibration sources which can find from nature. This project also represents a footstep of
piezoelectric energy harvesting model which is cost effective and easy to implement.
Keywords: Piezoelectric Sensor, Full-wave bridge rectifier, Lead Acid Battery, Load
(LED and USB Charger)

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The Objective of the Project

The Main Objective of the project is to demonstrate the use of piezoelectric s i.e
generation of electricity using piezoelectric material as a clean source of energy
generation which will in turn help the building to sustain on clean energy and therefore
reduce the energy production which will reduce the overall energy usage and hence will
make earth cleaner and improve the environmental issues that are existing.
The project deals with reducing Energy Usage from non-renewable sources of energy in
building and replacing it with clean energy sources, piezoelectrics in this case.
As Global warming is a major developing problem which is affecting the greenhouse effect
and therefore health of the habitants and the situation of the earth. Replacing conventional
sources of energy with newer, renewable sources of energy such as piezoelectrics; is a
good place to start countering the damage that is being done to the environment and hence
improving the health of the planet and its habitants.

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Clean Energy

What is Clean Energy?

True renewable energy sources are energy supplies that are refilled by natural processes at
least as fast as we use them. All renewable energy comes, ultimately, from the sun. We can use
the sun directly (as in solar heating systems) or indirectly (as in hydroelectric power, wind power,
and power from biomass fuels). Renewable energy supplies can become exhausted if we use them
faster than they become replenished: most of world’s forests were cut down for fuel before the
English started using coal. If used wisely, however, renewable energy supplies can last forever.

There are other alternatives to our typical energy sources that are not renewable. Although
these are “alternative energy” rather than “renewable energy”, they use the energy we have more
efficiently than older technologies. In doing this, they help us make our existing energy supplies
last longer and give us more time before we run out of stored fossil and atomic fuels.

The use of renewable and alternative energy sources can save us money, assure that our
grandchildren and great grandchildren will have enough energy, and free us from the uncertainties
of depending on energy supplies.

There are other sources of energy like hydro power and wind power but there is a new energy
source emerging known as piezoelectrics.

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The Need of clean energy

There is a current global need for clean and renewable energy sources. Fossil fuels are
non-renewable and require finite resources, which are dwindling because of high cost and
environmentally damaging retrieval techniques. So, the need for cheap and obtainable resources
is greatly needed.

The methods used to produce electricity also make it the main source of global CO2 emissions.

Combustion power plants, which burn fossil fuels (coal, oil or natural gas)
or biomass (household waste or plant matter), are the most widespread type of power station and
the least expensive to build. Coal-fired plants are the most common, currently generating more
than 40% of the world's electricity – but also emitting the most CO2 per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
Large countries such as China and India rely primarily on coal for their electricity.

Global electricity generation is constantly increasing, as evidenced by the three-fold rise

between 1973 and 2013 to 23,318 terawatt-hours (1012watt-hours)1. Of this amount, 41% is
produced from coal, 22% from gas, 16% from hydropower, 11% from nuclear power, 4% from
oil and a mere 6% from renewables (biomass as well as geothermal, wind and solar power), which
remain marginal despite making progress.

Electricity generation is responsible for 42.5% of global CO2 emissions. Of this, 73% can
be attributed to coal-fired power plants, which emit 950 grams of CO2 for every kilowatt-hour of
electricity they generate, compared with 350 grams for gas-fired power plants

Hence, a new, more reliable source of power generation is required to counter the
greenhouse effect of power generation.

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The Scope of Clean Energy

The scope for improvement in India’s energy system is vast. Renewable energy currently
makes up a negligible share (0.36%) of total primary commercial energy supply while 96.9% of
such supplies come from fossil fuels and 2.76% from hydro and nuclear resources.

The non-commercial combustible biomass and wastes which contributes to the extent of
24.5% of the total energy supplies are excluded in this balance. This column outlines the state of
renewable energy in India and what can be done about it.

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Piezoelectrics

Basic concept of piezoelectrics

Piezoelectricity is the electric charge that accumulates in certain solid materials (such
as crystals, certain ceramics, and biological matter such as bone, DNA and various proteins)in
response to applied mechanical stress. The word piezoelectricity means electricity resulting from
pressure and latent heat. It is derived from the Greek word πιέζειν; piezein, which means to
squeeze or press, and ἤλεκτρον ēlektron, which means amber, an ancient source of electric
charge. French physicists Jacques and Pierre Curie discovered piezoelectricity in 1880.
The piezoelectric effect results from the linear electromechanical interaction between the
mechanical and electrical states in crystalline materials with no inversion symmetry.
The piezoelectric effect is a reversible process: materials exhibiting the piezoelectric effect (the
internal generation of electrical charge resulting from an applied mechanical force) also exhibit
the reverse piezoelectric effect, the internal generation of a mechanical strain resulting from an
applied electrical field.
For example, lead zirconatetitanate crystals will generate measurable piezoelectricity when their
static structure is deformed by about 0.1% of the original dimension. Conversely, those same
crystals will change about 0.1% of their static dimension when an external electric field is applied
to the material. The inverse piezoelectric effect is used in the production of ultrasonic sound
waves.

Piezoelectricity is exploited in a number of useful applications, such as the production and

detection of sound, piezoelectric inkjet printing, generation of high voltages, electronic frequency
generation, microbalances, to drive an ultrasonic nozzle, and ultrafine focusing of optical
assemblies. It forms the basis for a number of scientific instrumental techniques with atomic
resolution, the scanning probe microscopies, such as STM, AFM, MTA, and SNOM. It also finds
Page |8
everyday uses such as acting as the ignition source for cigarette lighters, and push-start propane
barbecues, as well as being used as the time reference source in quartz watches.

Mechanism of piezoelectricity

The nature of the piezoelectric effect is closely related to the occurrence of electric dipole
moments in solids. The latter may either be induced for ions on crystal latticesites with asymmetric
charge surroundings (as in BaTiO3 and PZTs) or may directly be carried by molecular groups (as
in cane sugar). The dipole density or polarization(dimensionality [C·m/m 3] ) may easily be
calculated for crystals by summing up the dipole moments per volume of the crystallographic unit
cell.
As every dipole is a vector, the dipole density P is a vector field. Dipoles near each other
tend to be aligned in regions called Weiss domains. The domains are usually randomly oriented,
but can be aligned using the process of poling (not the same as magnetic poling), a process by
which a strong electric field is applied across the material, usually at elevated temperatures. Not
all piezoelectric materials can be poled of decisive importance for the piezoelectric effect is the
change of polarization P when applying a mechanical stress. This might either be caused by a
reconfiguration of the dipole-inducing surrounding or by re-orientation of molecular dipole
moments under the influence of the external stress. Piezoelectricity may then manifest in a
variation of the polarization strength, its direction or both, with the details depending on:

1. The orientation of P within the crystal

2. Crystal symmetry
3. The applied mechanical stress.

The change in P appears as a variation of surface charge density upon the crystal faces,
i.e. as a variation of the electric field extending between the faces caused by a change in dipole
density in the bulk. For example, a 1 cm3 cube of quartz with 2 kN (500 lbf) of correctly applied
force can produce a voltage of 12500 V
Piezoelectric materials also show the opposite effect, called the converse piezoelectric
effect, where the application of an electrical field creates mechanical deformation in the crystal.

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Piezoelectric Effect and Electricity Generation

A piezoelectric substance is one that produces an electric charge when a mechanical stress
is applied (the substance is squeezed or stretched). Conversely, a mechanical deformation (the
substance shrinks or expands) is produced when an electric field is applied. This effect is formed
in crystals that have no center of symmetry. To explain this, we have to look at the individual
molecules that make up the crystal. Each molecule has a polarization, one end is more negatively
charged and the other end is positively charged, and is called a dipole. This is a result of the atoms
that make up the molecule and the way the molecules are shaped. The polar axis is an imaginary
line that runs through the center of both charges on the molecule. In a monocrystal the polar axes
of all of the dipoles lie in one direction. The crystal is said to be symmetrical because if you were
to cut the crystal at any point, the resultant polar axes of the two pieces would lie in the same
direction as the original. In a polycrystal, there are different regions within the material that have
a different polar axis. It is asym-metrical because there is no point at which the crystal could be
cut that would leave the two remaining pieces with the same resultant polar axis. Figure 1
illustrates this concept

Monocrystal with single polar axis Polycrystal with random polar axis

Figure 1: Mono vs. Poly Crystals

In order to produce the piezoelectric effect, the polycrystal is heated under the application
of a strong electric field. The heat allows the molecules to move more freely and the electric field
forces all of the dipoles in the crystal to line up and face in nearly the same direction (Figure 2)

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 Electrode Polarization Surviving Polarity
Random dipole

Figure 2: Polarization of Ceramic Material to Generate Piezoelectric Effect

The piezoelectric effect can now be observed in the crystal. Figure 3 illustrates the
piezoelectric effect. Figure 3 (a) shows the piezoelectric material without a stress or charge. If the
material is compressed, then a voltage of the same polarity as the poling voltage will appear
between the electrodes (b). If stretched, a voltage of opposite polarity will appear (c). Con-versely,
if a voltage is applied the material will deform. A voltage with the opposite polarity as the poling
voltage will cause the material to expand, (d), and a voltage with the same polarity will cause the
material to compress (e). If an AC signal is applied then the material will vibrate at the same
frequency as the signal (f).

Figure 3: Example of Piezoelectric Effect

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Energy harvesting using piezoelectrics

1. Introduction
Energy harvesting has been a topic of discussion and research for three decades. With the
ever increasing and demanding energy needs, unearthing and exploiting more and more energy
sources has become a need of the day. Energy harvesting is the process by which energy is
derived from external sources and utilized to drive the machines directly, or the energy is
captured and stored for future use. Some traditional energy harvesting schemes are solar farms,
wind farms, tidal energy utilizing farms, geothermal energy farms and many more. With the
advent of technology, utilization of these sources has increased by leaps and bounds. When
viewed on a large scale, energy harvesting schemes can be categorized as shown in Table 1.

TYPE OF ENERGY SOLUTION ULTIMATE GOAL

ENERGY
SOURCE
HARVESTING
MACRO Renew able source Energy Management Reduce oil dependency
like solar wind tidal solution
etc.
MICRO Small scale source Ultra low Power Driving Low Energy
like vibration, Solutions Consuming Devices
motion, heat etc.

Table 1. Type of Energy Harvesting Scheme

Piezoelectric energy harvesting is a new and innovative step in the direction of energy
harvesting. Not many researches have been carried out till now in this field, hence it is a
challenging job to extract energy from Piezoelectricity. Through this research paper, we will
describe the basic working of a piezoelectric crystal. Then later in the paper, we have proposed
the idea of combining energy from a number of piezoelectric crystals to obtain higher voltages.
Certain ways of implanting the crystals at different places have also been cited in the paper.
Piezoelectric crystals can be utilized to obtain voltages of very small values and hence can drive
low voltage devices. Hence, piezoelectric energy harvesting comes under the category of micro
scale energy harvesting scheme.

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2. Working principle of piezoelectric energy harvesting
The piezoelectric effect is a special material property that exists in many single crystalline
materials. Examples of such crystalline structures are Quartz, Rochelle salt, Topaz, Tourmaline,
Cane sugar, Berlinite (AIPO4), Bone, Tendon, Silk, Enamel, Dentin, Barium Titanate
(BaTiO3), Lead Titanate (PbTiO3), Potassium Niobate (KNbO3), Lithium Niobate (LiNbO3)
etc. There are two types of piezoelectric effect, direct piezoelectric effect and inverse
piezoelectric effect. The direct piezoelectric effect is derived from materials generating electric
potential when mechanical stress is applied and the inverse piezoelectric effect implies
materials deformation when an electric field is applied. The energy harvesting via
Piezoelectricity uses direct piezoelectric effect. The phenomenon will be clear from the diagram
shown in figure 4, figure 5 shows the structure of a piezoelectric component being used for
energy harvesting. The output voltage obtained from a single piezoelectric crystal is in milli
volts range, which is different for different crystals and the wattage is in microwatt range. So
in order to achieve higher voltages, the piezoelectric crystals can be arranged in cascading
manner, that is, in series. The energy thus obtained is stored in Lithium batteries or capacitors.
This is the working principle behind piezoelectric energy harvesting system. Now the extreme
engineering lies in optimization of piezoelectric energy, which is done in various ways. A lot
of studies are being carried out in order to know which crystal will be the best to obtain
maximum output voltage what should be the structure of piezoelectric component, which type
of circuit should be used at the output terminals of piezoelectric crystal in order to have

maximum wattage.
Figure 4: Principle of direct Figure 5: Structure of Piezoelectric piezoelectric
effect Component

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3. Sources of vibration for crystal previous work
In this section, we have mentioned a number of sources of vibration which are already being
used for piezoelectric energy harvesting and a new idea in this direction has been proposed.

Power generating sidewalk

The piezoelectric crystal arrays are laid underneath pavements, sidewalks and other high
traffic areas like highways, speed breakers for maximum voltage generation. The voltage thus
generated from the array can be used to charge the chargeable Lithium batteries, capacitors etc.
These batteries can be used as per the requirement

In United States Defense Advance Research Project Agency (DARPA) initiated an

innovative project on Energy harvesting which attempts to power battlefield equipment by
piezoelectric generators embedded in soldiers’ boots. However, these energy harvesting sources
put an impact on the body. DARPA’s effort to harness 1-2 watts from continuous shoe impact
while walking were abandoned due to the discomfort from the additional energy expended by
a person wearing the shoes.

Gyms and workplaces

Researchers are also working on the idea of utilizing the vibrations caused from the
machines in the gym. At workplaces, while sitting on the chair, energy can be stored in the
batteries by laying piezoelectric crystals in the chair. Also, the studies are being carried out to
utilize the vibrations in a vehicle, like at clutches, gears, seats, shock-ups, foot rests.

Mobile keypad and keyboards

The piezoelectric crystals can be laid down under the keys of a mobile unit and keyboards.
With the press of every key, the vibrations created can be used for piezoelectric crystal and
hence can be used for charging purpose.

Floor mats, tiles and carpets

A series of crystals can be laid below the floor mats, tiles and carpets which are frequently
used at public places.

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People powered dance clubs
In Europe, certain nightclubs have already begun to power their night clubs, strobes and
stereos by use of piezoelectric crystals. The crystals are laid underneath the dance floor. When
a bulk of people use this dance floor, enormous amount of voltage is generated which can be
used to power the equipment’s of the night club.

4. Proposed work
In this section, we propose two methods.

Figure 6: Piezoelectric Wind Mill.

Piezoelectric wind mill

In order to energize low power consuming devices, microcells are invariantly used. But these
microcells need to be charged once they get discharged. Hence if the devices are placed at
remote places like villages, border areas, forests, hilly areas, then continuous charging of the
microcells is not possible by conventional charging methods. In such cases, alternative options
like solar energy and wind energy can be utilized. But cloudy days and rains restrict the use of
solar energy. So, wind energy comes out to be the best alternative. The idea about a piezoelectric
wind mill will be clear from figure 6. The piezoelectric wind mill that we have proposed consists
of a fan with three blades to effectively capture the wind flow. A lever arm is connected to the
windmill fan rotor and a translator is connected with this lever arm to convert rotational motion

P a g e | 15
 into translator motion. A disc is connected at the lower end of translator, such that whenever it
moves upwards and downwards, it compresses the piezoelectric crystals. Hence for different
speeds of wind also, that is for different frequencies, the piezoelectric wind mill may function.
Hence, it has higher workable bandwidth. The constant compression of piezoelectric crystals
causes a huge amount of energy to be generated, which can comfortably drive the remotely
placed low power consuming devices. Hence, the concept of piezoelectric wind mill can be
used to harness piezoelectric energy very efficiently and effectively.

Increased bandwidth piezoelectric crystal

In order to increase the workable bandwidth, that is, in order to use piezoelectric crystals
over a wide range of vibrations, we are propose a new method. If in place of a single energy
source, we make use of more than one, then the efficiency of harvesting system will definitely
increase. Hence, we are making use of two energy converting techniques, one is the
piezoelectric crystal and other is the
electromagnetically induced voltage. Figure 7 gives
the structure of such type of system. The system
consists of a flexible strip, over which the
piezoelectric crystals are mounted and at one end of
the strip, a magnet is mounted. This magnet lies inside
a stationary coil. At times, when intensity of vibration
is high, voltage is obtained from piezoelectric crystals.
Hence, at higher frequencies, piezoelectric crystals
give the output. When intensity of vibration is less, the
piezoelectric crystals do not give a considerable
output. At lower frequencies, the magnet moves inside
the stationary coil. This motion causes
electromagnetic flux to be generated and hence an output voltage is obtained.
Figure 7. Bridge rectifier type AC
to DC converter.

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5. Output stage of piezoelectric energy harvesting system
The output of a piezoelectric crystal is alternating signal. In order to use this voltage for low power
consuming electronic devices, it has to be first converted into digital signal. This is done with the
help of AC to DC converter as shown in figure 7. Figure 7 shows a simple diode rectifier to convert
AC to DC. This is followed by a capacitor, which gets charged by the rectifier up to a pre-decided
voltage, at which the switch closes and the capacitor discharges through the device. In this way, the
energy can be stored in the capacitor, and can be discharged when required. But the energy
harvesting capacity of this circuit is not appreciable. Hence, a DC to DC converter is used after
bridge rectifier stage, which has been demonstrated. The addition of DC-DC converter has shown
an improvement in energy harvesting by a factor of 7. A non-linear processing technique
“Synchronized Switch Harvesting on Inductor” (SSHI) was also proposed in 2005 for harvesting
energy. It consists of a switching device in parallel with the piezoelectric element. The device is
composed of a switch and an inductor connected in series. The switch is in open state except when
the maximum displacement occurs in the transducer. At that instant, the switch is closed and the
capacitance of the piezoelectric element and inductor together constitute an oscillator. The switch
is kept closed until the voltage on the piezoelectric element has been reversed. This circuit
arrangement of the output circuit is said to have a very high energy harvesting capacity.

6. Implementation
Experimentation has been done on a Piezo-crystal and it is tested with a Light Emitting
Diode (LED). The two terminals of the LED are connected with the two terminals of the crystal.
Choice of Blue LED is being made for experimentation. Single stroke on the crystal blows blue
LED with full intensity. Measured values of output voltage and current from the crystal come
out to be 3.5 Volt and 100 milliamps. The only shortcoming of this using a single crystal and a
LED was that both the voltage and current obtained exists instantaneously. To increase the range
of voltage and current output, an assembly of 6 crystals in series and 6 such series has been put
in parallel. When number of voltage sources are put in series, then the net voltage increases,
while when a number of voltage sources are put in parallel, then the strength of signal, that is,
current increases. This is the concept used behind the assembly. The output of parallel
connection is fed to the current amplifier for signal strengthening and the output of series
connection is fed to the amplifier for biasing purpose and also to the voltage amplifier. The
assembly has been put under a doormat and the output obtained from amplifier has been very

P a g e | 17
 encouraging which was around 6 V voltage and 1 ampere current. This magnitude of voltage
and current can be certainly used to charge a battery. Figure 8 shows the assembly used in our
system.

7. Cost effectiveness
The assembly developed using series and parallel combination of piezo-crystals is very cost
effective. A single crystal costs around 23 - 25 Rupees, and hence the cost of whole assembly
is very less. It is very encouraging to get a good voltage and current at such a low cost at the
same time is utilized.

Using the Piezoelectric Effect

The piezoelectric crystal bends in different ways at different frequencies. This bending is
called the vibration mode. The crystal can be made into various shapes to achieve different
vibration modes. To realize small, cost effective, and high per-formance products, several modes
have been developed to operate over several frequency ranges. These modes allow us to make
products working in the low kHz range up to the MHz range. Figure 4 shows the vibration modes
and the frequen-cies over which they can work.

Piezoelectric Materials

The materials which show piezoelectric properties are known as piezoelectric materials.

They can be both synthetic and naturally occurring. Some of the names of these kind of
materials are named below.

Naturally occurring Synthetic materials

 Quartz Tendon
 Berlinite Wood
 Rochelle salt Silk

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Factors affecting power Generation

Geometry The most efficient form to produce more energy is tapered shape

Thickness More energy is produced with thinner material

Loading More energy is produced with increase in mass or force

Mode

Fixation Fixation at one end will result in more deflection, thus more
energy when subjected to external force, than when fixed at two
ends

Structure Bimorph structures produce double the energy output than

unimorphstructure

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Relationship between Various factors and Energy Production

1. Traffic: Energy production shares a linear relation with the amount of traffic in the
stadium. The more the amount of people in the stadium the more will be the production of the
energy and hence a linear relation.

2. Frequency: piezoelectric devices can also be manipulated over the size and the shape
as already discussed. Several shapes introduced produced different vibration modes and hence by
altering the shape and size the amount of energy produced can be altered. The relation between
the two is shown as in the graph below:

Figure 8: Power Density Significance Claimed

4. Shape of the crystal: Various crystals have various properties of power generation
depending on its shape and size.

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Piezoelectrics in Buildings

Concept of the Project

The basic concept of the project is to link the piezoelectric power generation to the existing
and still under construction buildings so that the building should be able to sustain on the very
energy that they are producing. In this way it is a start to revolutionize the energy consumption in
the civil sector and which will in turn help not only energy field and enhance the concept of green
buildings and clean power generation but also will be a factor that will influence the countering
of negative effects of power generation from conventional sources such as fossil fuels and coal,
etc.

So by linking the electricity and power generation by piezoelectricity and its scope in the
civil sector will be a start in taking action to prevent more damage to the atmosphere of the earth
and hence improve the health of the planet and also making it a better place to live.

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Practical Application of the Project

The concept will be of most efficiency where the frequency of traffic is more than the
places with less traffic and frequency. Places like stadiums, railway platforms, opening of gates,
roads, etc. where there is a lot of traffic. The places are best suitable for the project like this. The
sustaining building can use the energy produced by piezoelectrics for its electricity purpose and
hence getting started in being a green building and reducing the damage done to the environment.

Use of concept at different places

Some of the places or venues which are best suited for the concept are listed below:

1. Shopping mall entrances

2. Stadium seats
3. Entrances and exits
4. Railway platforms
5. Roads
6. Conjunctions in roads
7. Bus stands
8. In Institutions, etc.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of the Concept

Advantages:

 One major advantage with the use of this clean energy is that as it is renewable it
is therefore sustainable and so will never run out.
 Energy facilities generally require less maintenance than traditional generators.
Their fuel being derived from natural and available resources reduces the costs of
operation.
 Even more importantly, renewable energy produces little or no waste products such
as carbon dioxide or other chemical pollutants, so has minimal impact on the
environment.
 Renewable energy projects can also bring economic benefits to many regional
areas, as most projects are located away from large urban centres and suburbs of
the capital cities. These economic benefits may be from the increased use of local
services as well as tourism.
 It is a really good way to reduce the cost factor of the building, the running cost
of the building will go down to a very noticeable point.
 It is a simple concept to install and operate and does not requires any specific skill.

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Disadvantages

 It is easy to recognize the environmental advantages of utilizing the alternative and

renewable forms of energy but we must also be aware of the disadvantages.
 One disadvantage with renewable energy is that it is difficult to generate the
quantities of electricity that are as large as those produced by traditional fossil fuel
generators. This may mean that we need to reduce the amount of energy we use or
simply build more energy facilities. It also indicates that the best solution to our
energy problems may be to have a balance of many different power sources.
 Another disadvantage of renewable energy sources is the reliability of supply.
Renewable energy often relies on the weather for its source of power. Hydro
generators need rain to fill dams to supply flowing water. Wind turbines need wind
to turn the blades, and solar collectors need clear skies and sunshine to collect heat
and make electricity. When these resources are unavailable so is the capacity to
make energy from them. This can be unpredictable and inconsistent. The current
cost of renewable energy technology is also far in excess of traditional fossil fuel
generation. This is because it is a new technology and as such has extremely large
capital cost.
 Lack of awareness for the concept among the masses is a general concern.

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Effect on the field of Power Generation and Clean energy.

The major sources of renewable sources are solar and wind energy but the piezoelectric
power generation can be used on a smaller scale and still is able to make a difference on the energy
levels in the world. The following graph shows the level and amount of energy generation by
renewable sources.

Piezoelectrics can also light streetlights and other electricity consuming sources around the place
of application, the relation between it is shown as in the graph below.

Figure 9: Piezoelectric devices future consumption level.

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 Figure 10: Piezoelectric awareness and streetlight application

The awareness among the world regarding renewable sources of power generation
(PIEZOELECTRIC) is growing at an exponential rate, the rate of awareness is shown as
follows:

Figure 11: Renewable energy methods awareness

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CONCLUSION

In this paper a theoretical model for energy harvesting system using piezoelectric materials
have been presented. It is evident that harnessing energy through piezoelectric materials provider
a cleaner way of powering lighting systems and other equipment. It is a new approach to lead the
world into implementing greener technologies that are aimed at protecting the environment.
Piezoelectric energy harvesting systems are a onetime instalment and they require very less
maintenance, making them cost efficient. One of the limitations of this technology is that its
implementation is not feasible in sparsely populated areas as the foot traffic is very low in such
areas.

Further experimentation has to be carried out for its implementation on a larger scale, with an
efficient interface circuit at a low cost in universities and can be used on a bigger scale in venues
like stadiums, railway platforms, airports, bus stops, even on roadways, basically anywhere where
the process can be carried out easily and on a greater scale and in an efficient manner.

P a g e | 27
References

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vibration energy Australian Mining Technology Conference 111-118.
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power supply for RFIDtags and applications Proc. IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium New
York City USA 2558-61 .
3. Ahola J Srkimki V Ahonen T Kosonen A Tiainen R and Lindh T 2008 Design
considerations of energy harvesting wireless sensors for condition monitoring of
electronic motors Proc. 5th Int. Conf Condition Monitoring Machinery Failure Prevention
Technologies Edinburgh UK.
4. Roundy S Wright P K and Rabaye J 2003 study of low level vibrations as a power source
for wireless sensor nodes Computer Communications 1131-44.
5. Steven R Anton Henry and A Sodano 2007 A review of power harvesting using
piezoelectric materials, Smart Materials and Structures 16.
6. www.wikipedia.com/piezoelectrics
7. www.google.co.in

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