BRIGE: Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Shock Absorber

这扩大参与研究启动赠款工程（BRIGE）提供资金的压电能量再生减震器的评估。由多个压电陶瓷（PZT）单晶片组成的压电能量再生器将提供振动抑制并从振动中产生能量。基于非线性复合材料薄梁理论和非线性本构关系，建立了复合材料的机电耦合模型。通过参数研究得到了优化设计。随着能量再生器的系统参数的变化，例如几何尺寸和材料特性，将分析所产生的能量的量的变化。研究了压电单晶片的机电非线性和几何非线性对能量再生效率的影响。为了从压电发电机中获得最大能量，设计了一种新型的机电结合的能量采集电路，该电路可以工作在两种模式下。本研究的总体目标是更好地理解压电材料的机电特性，设计具有良好振动抑制以及高能量回收效率的减振器。压电能量收集作为一种绿色能源创造方法为缓解世界能源压力提供了一种替代选择。如果这项研究成功，新一代的高能源效益汽车便可减少废气排放，从而改善本港的环境。本研究将有助于对压电材料的机电性能有一个全面的了解。对非线性动力学条件下压电发电机功率特性的研究将对材料科学产生重要影响，并为未来压电发电机的设计提供新的思路。对本构模型的非线性畴变行为的研究将促进边值问题和畴壁动力学的发展。该项目的结果可能会在机械、生物医学和信息技术领域得到应用。该项目为各级代表人数不足的学生提供服务：a）将为非裔美国高中学生及其教师举办讲习班，B）将招募女研究生和一名少数民族本科生参与该项目，c）将组织一次妇女参与工程研究专题讨论会，作为女学生的职业指导工具。

This Broadening Participation Research Initiation Grant in Engineering (BRIGE) provides funding for the evaluation of a piezoelectric energy regeneration shock absorber. The piezoelectric energy regenerator, composed of several piezoceramic (PZT) unimorphs, will provide vibration suppression and generate energy from vibration. An electromechanical model is developed based on nonlinear composite thin beam theory and nonlinear constitutive law. An optimized design is obtained via parametric study. As system parameters of the energy regenerator vary, such as the geometric dimensions and the material properties, the variations in the amount of generated energy will be analyzed. The effect of the electromechanical nonlinearity and the geometric nonlinearity of the PZT unimorph on the efficiency of energy regeneration will be investigated. A novel electrical-mechanical combined energy harvest circuit, which can operate under two modes, is designed for obtaining maximum energy from a piezoelectric generator. The overall objective of this research is to better understand the electromechanical properties of piezoelectric materials; to design a shock absorber with good vibration suppression as well as high energy recovery efficiency.Piezoelectric energy harvesting as a green energy creation method provides an alternative option for alleviating the world energy stress. The success of the proposed study will bring to life a new generation of high energy efficiency cars with emission reduction, and hence improve our environmental conditions. This research will provide a comprehensive understanding of the electromechanical properties of piezoelectric material. The study of the power performances in nonlinear dynamical regime will especially impact material science and bring novel ideas to the design of future piezoelectric generators. The study of the nonlinear domain switching behavior of the constitutive model will accelerate the development of boundary value problems and domain wall dynamics. Results from this project may find applications in areas of mechanical, biomedical, and information technology. This project serves underrepresented students at different levels: a) workshops for African-American high school students and their teachers will be developed, b) female graduate students and a minority undergraduate student will be recruited to work on this project, and c) a women in engineering research symposium will be organized to serve as a career mentoring tool for female students.