Cyber Systems: Smart Sand: An Integrated, Ultra High-Power Density MEMS Vibration Energy Harvester System based on Nonlinear Deflection Dynamics

本研究的目的是开发一种原型振动能量收集装置，该装置可作为自供电、微型和完全集成的无线传感器网络节点，用于长期传感和监测应用。这些基于压电的设备，体积为一立方毫米，比最先进的设备提高了两个数量级。该项目的方法是将单晶硅和压电薄膜的三维数值模拟与材料性能表征实验相结合，以推动这两种材料达到各自的力学极限。同时将努力开发廉价、批量制造兼容的制造工艺。这项工作的智力优点是将大的非线性挠曲动力学直接纳入微尺度器件的设计中；这种方法可以实现最佳电压产生，允许在低频下有效地收集能量，并且避免任何设计定制，机械修整或共振调谐。更广泛的影响可能包括普及、廉价、易于部署、可靠和可持续的传感器网络，对国土安全、环境和结构完整性监测、战场感知、自动边境监视和包裹跟踪具有直接影响。这项研究将为本科生和研究生的跨学科培训提供宝贵的机会。与康涅狄格工程预科项目（CPEP）合作，PI将参与纽黑文地区的高中教师发展项目和课堂丰富活动，该地区有大量社会和经济上处于危险中的儿童，以及传统上代表性不足的少数民族学生的高度集中。

The objective of this research is to develop a prototype vibration energy harvesting device that can be used as a self-powering, miniature and fully-integrated wireless sensor network node for long-term sensing and monitoring applications. These piezoelectric-based devices, on the order of a cubic millimeter in volume, offer two orders of magnitude improvement over the state-of-the-art. The approach of this project is to merge three-dimensional numerical simulations with material property characterization experiments on both single-crystal silicon and piezoelectric thin films, in order to push both materials to their respective mechanical limits. Efforts to develop cheap, batch-fabrication compatible manufacturing processes will be undertaken simultaneously.The intellectual merit of this work is the incorporation of large, nonlinear deflection dynamics directly into the design of the micro-scale devices; this approach enables optimal voltage generation, allows effective energy harvesting at low frequencies, and obviates any design customization, mechanical trimming or resonance tuning. The broader impacts are likely to include pervasive, cheap, easy-to-deploy, reliable and sustainable sensor networks, with direct impact potential in homeland security, environmental and structural integrity monitoring, battlefield awareness, automatic border surveillance, and package tracking. The study will provide valuable opportunities for the interdisciplinary training of both undergraduate and graduate students. In collaboration with the Connecticut Pre-Engineering Program (CPEP), the PI will be participating in the high school teacher development program and classroom enrichment activities around the New Haven area, which has a significant population of socially and economically at-risk children, as well as a high concentration of traditionally underrepresented minority students.