2020 2nd International Conference on Sustainable Technologies for

Industry 4.0 (STI), 19-20 December, Dhaka

Modeling and Simulation of Piezoelectric Energy

Harvesting Device in Vehicle Suspension System
2020 2nd International Conference on Sustainable Technologies for Industry 4.0 (STI) |978-1-6654-0489-1 /20/$31.00 ©2020 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/STI50764.2020.9350477

Nahid Hossain Taz, Abrar Islam, Mirza Muntasir Nishat and Fahim Faisal
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Islamic University of Technology, Board Bazar, Gazipur, Bangladesh
Email: [email protected] , [email protected] , [email protected] , [email protected]

Abstract—This manuscript introduces a novel design of proposition leads to the application of PEH incorporated with
harvesting electrical energy from a mechanically excited traditional electronic devices [3]. However, optimization of
piezoelectric element (Lead Zirconate Titanate) by utilizing the the energy produced by the PEH emerges as a challenge for
suspension system of a motor vehicle. A comprehensive analysis the researchers. A vibration energy harvester (VEH), which is
and investigation are carried out by deploying both mechanical
coupled with a perovskite component consolidates both the
and electrical domain properties. The suspension system is
designed in Solidworks, and the mathematical characterization transducer and electronics required to transport power to the
and boundary properties are employed using the Finite Element destination electronics [4]. Hence, noteworthy recognition is
Method. Consequently, necessary experimental simulations are received by research community regarding piezoelectric
performed in COMSOL Multiphysics concerning both PZT-4 and vibration to electricity conversion [5]. Consequently, there is
PZT-8 attributes which further demonstrate a comparative an influential necessity to study for distinct energy harvester
analysis. Following that, the electrical system is implemented fabrications that can increase the versatility of PEH without
in Matlab (Simulink) which consists of an AC-DC bridge rectifier increasing the size of the device. For this regard, a spiral
followed by a Pi Filter, a switch-mode DC-DC Boost converter, piezoelectric fabricated spring was proposed and analyzed as a
and an electrochemical lead battery. The outcome of this
practical energy harvester based on the availability of PZT-4
electromechanical system presents the potential generation of
37.88 Volt (DC) and 40.97 Volt (DC) from PZT-4 and PZT-8 and PZT-8 ceramics [6-7]. Nevertheless, several concerns are
respectively, which can be applied in numerous low-voltage linked in terms of conformal coating of piezoelectric element
applications of daily life. and uniform density deposition making the fabrication process
challenging. Therefore, the proposed design of the system is
Keywords— Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting (PEH), Lead targeted within the vehicle suspension system considering the
Zirconate Titanate, Suspension Spring, PZT-4 and PZT-8, Pi strut springs which withstand consistent vibration while on the
Filter, AC-DC Bridge Rectifier, DC-DC Boost Converter route.

I. INTRODUCTION In this paper, Section II presents an overview of the

In this modern era of technology, piezoelectric proposed system followed by a detailed explanation of
material has emerged as an efficient tool to conduct mechanical and electrical systems along with mathematical
groundbreaking researches in the field of power and energy. modeling. In Section III, the results and simulations are
The perception of energy harvesting by deploying represented and the overall analysis is depicted. Lastly, the
piezoelectric materials can be established as a potential source conclusion is presented in section IV with promising results.
of generating electrical energy [1]. To combat the present In this work, COMSOL and Matlab (Simulink) are utilized to
energy crisis, a lot of procedures have been endured from time carry out necessary simulations proficiently.
to time to generate electric energy. In this regard, PZT
II. WORKING METHODOLOGY
harvesters can be utilized by applying different types of
energy sources like thermal, mechanical, fluid etc. Amongst A. Overview:
them, mechanical input is considered the most effective as it
can be implemented with less effort in comparison with other An influential role is played by piezoelectric elements in
inputs [2]. smart material and structural practices, and high-performance
piezoelectric actuators with a more substantial capability and
The necessity for piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) displacement output are in demand. Lead zirconate titanate
accelerates because batteries have a limited operational (PZT) is an inorganic compound which is a ceramic perovskite
lifetime and its replacement or preservation is unmanageable material that exhibits a piezoelectric effect. The chemical
in several cases. However, the expense of the battery is formula is Pb[ZrxTi1-x]O3 where (0≤x≤1). However, PZT
affluent and the practice of a battery may appear in sustenance powder is manufactured by mixtures of PbO, TiO2, and ZrO2
concerns when they are engaged in unrelenting circumstances which are calcined. The reaction between PbO and TiZrO4
[3]. Utilizing diverse energy sources externally could be a develops PZT powder with high compositional homogeneity
promising solution of this problem. For instance, PEH can be and resultant PZT is Pb[Zr0.5Ti0.5]O3, which possesses a
employed to improve the battery's tenacity in this case. This tetragonal structure. Furthermore, it has the highest dielectric

978-1-6654-0489-1/20/$31.00©20XX IEEE

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permittivity and large remanent polarization. PZT materials
are distinct from most other ceramic materials that can afford
more prominent storage density due to the antiferroelectric
characteristic. In this paper, we choose PZT-4 and PZT-8
materials (Navy Types I and III) for highly-efficient
piezoceramic energy density [8].

The suspension system of a vehicle introduces to the

accumulation of mechanical segments correlating the wheels
to the structure or body. The system consists of the
arrangement of tires, springs, struts, bars, arms, bushings,
shock absorbers, and linkages that connects a transport to its
wheels and provides pertinent motion connecting the two
upper and lower portions. The fundamental purpose of the
suspension system involves maximizing the connection
linking the tires and the roadway surface, implementing
steering stability, and good resistance. Strut arrangements
consist of a coil spring to maintain the vehicle mass, a strut
installation to implement rigid fundamental support for the
assembly, and a strut cartridge inside the strut mounting and
spring to control the suspension movement. In customary, a
vehicle suspension is equipped with a substantially helical
compression spring, where the compression spring works in
accord with a shock absorber [9].
Generally, the spring oscillates due to the energy of road
Fig 2: Overall workflow diagram
shock. However, shock absorber restricts to a significant level
for the comfort of the passengers. The objective of a shock
B. Mechanical System:
absorber is to dissipate kinetic energy into the perpendicular
motion of the body. A PEH is frequently represented as a Suspension springs are the connection between wheels and
mass, spring, damper, and piezo fabrication collectively, the car body. Their primitive task is to compensate for bumpy
including a potential storage system which is schematically road surfaces and consequently provide assurance of high
presented in Fig. 1. It consists of a piezoelectric component levels of ride satisfaction. [11]. The design of a suspension strut
fabricated to mechanical construction such as a strut spring with spring is accomplished in Solidworks which is depicted in
and is connected to a storage circuit arrangement. In this Fig. 2 and the geometric parameters along with values are
procedure, F(t) is the force mounted on the effective mass, depicted in Table-1.
which is, in this case, strut spring, K is the effective stiffness
of the oscillatory mass, Cp is characterized as the capacitance
of the analyzing system, η is the coefficient of damper and
U(t) corresponds to the displacement of the oscillatory spring
which is a function of time.

Fig 1: Modeling of piezoelectric energy harvesting system

Fig. 3 Mechanical Design of a suspension strut with spring.

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 TABLE I. GEOMETRIC PARAMETERS TABLE II. PIEZOELECTRIC CRYSTAL PROPERTIES
Description Symbols Values Units Property Symbol Unit PZT-4 PZT-8
Wire Diameter d 0.005 m
Shaft S 0.15 m E-mechanical 0.71 0.64
k33 -
Internal Diameter Di 0.004 m Coupling
External Diameter Do 0.005 m Density ρ kg / m 2 7650 7750
Hole H 0.03 m
Pitch P 0.03 m Relative 1650 1110
ε rT 33 -
Block Length Lc 0.05 m Permittivity
Allowable Coils Lo 0.17 m Charge Constants 372 275
d33 10−12 C
Number of Coils N 8 - N
Mass of Spring m 0.3 kg Young’s 109 N 118.8 135.5
Modulus of Rigidity G 80x106 Pa Modulus γ 33E m2
Deflection δ 15 x10-3 m Compliance 10−12 m
2
8.42 7.38
Allowable Shear Stress τ 100 x106 Pa s33D N

The energy harvester introduced in this paper utilizes the C. Electrical System:
vertical oscillatory deformation from the weight of the vehicle
In reality, vibrational PEH devices are based on the induced
and inner liner elastic deformation. The electric field transpired
power from mechanical vibrations with varying amplitude,
from an oscillatory deformation in piezoelectric material is
resulting in induced output voltage with alternating current
described as the following equation [12]:
(AC) from the piezoelectric components. To utilize the
E = d / (ε T s D ) S (1) piezoelectric energy harvester significantly, power generation
must be composed of a rectifier. To obtain full-wave
In this equation, E, d, ɛ, s, and S refer to electric field strength, rectification of vibrating piezoelectric material, a bridge
piezoelectric charge constant, permittivity, compliance, and rectifier with four diodes is deployed followed with a Pi filter
strain respectively. Also, the charge produced from the 33 to reduce the ripple. After that, a DC-DC boost converter is
modes of transduction of the piezoelectric element is employed to step up the voltage followed by 12.6 V (70 amp-
hours / 3.5 amps) lead-acid battery [16].
represented as follows [13]:

∂ Vn WHn III. RESULTS AND SIMULATION

QGen =
∂V  (−d σ3
33
L
)dxdA = −d33Y33
L 
S3dx (2) This segment demonstrates the results and interpretations
of the simulations performed by both COMSOL
Multiphysics and Matlab (Simulink). Initially, the source
The equation (2) is represented in terms of the piezoelectric
vibrations produced by the acceleration in the time domain are
charge coefficient (d33), Young’s modulus (Y33), the width of
adequately characterized in order to execute the Finite
piezoelectric material (W), height (H), and variable strain (S3).
Element Analysis. In the following tests, input vibration
Hence, the generated voltage is presented below [14]:
resulting in differential strain, applied to the suspension
system is presented. The analytical model and simulation data

β
 t 
−  correspond strongly at low strain amplitudes for both PZT-4
 −d33Y33WHhS3 (t ) e  τ d  , t ≤ To and PZT-8.
 T
Afiber ε 33
Vgen ( t ) =  β
(3)
 −d Y WHhS (T ) − τT0  − τt 
 33 33 T
3 0
e  d  e  C  , t > To
 A ε
fiber 33

The charging energy in the capacitor can be measured using

the generated voltage and capacitance as follows:

m m
1 m
1 nAε33T
Erev =  Ei =  Cpiezo (Vpeak (i ) )2 =  (V (t1 ))2 (4)
i =1 i =1 2 i =1 2 h
In equation (4), Erev is the generated energy per revolution, and
Cpiezo is the capacitance of piezoelectric material. The charging
energy in the capacitor for one cycle is received from
summing every peak voltage [15]. Table-2 depicts the values
associated with the piezoelectric crystal properties.
Fig. 4: Heat map of displacement as a function of strain (250 pa)

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 In this simulation, the strut spring was fixed at one end
and loaded with a constant strain at the other end. Fig. 4
depicts the displacement response function relative to PZT-4
for 250 Pa. To result in a more realistic system description, the
motion stops are depicted as a time-variant damping
oscillatory behavior. Additional analysis of deflection and
elasticity experienced by the fabricated PZT devices has been
performed and shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7: Generation of Floating-Point Potential for strain of 250 pa

Fig. 5: Displacement as a function of time for strain of 250 pa The performance is represented as floating-point potential
extracted from a collector from the upper spring seat. The heat
map depicts the distribution of potential within the strut spring
laterally. Both PZT-4 and PZT-8 produce different amounts of
potentials under the identical strain. Hence, Table III portrays
the simulated values of generated potential through the PZT
fabricated strut springs for different strain amounts
comparatively. The comparison explicates the greater
efficiency of PZT-8 over PZT-4 due to higher density and
Young's Modulus value.

TABLE III. PRODUCED ELECTRICAL ENERGY

Pressure (Pa) Potential for PZT-4 Potential for PZT-8
(volt) (volt)
50 3.75 5.28
100 6.52 9.78
150 9.36 12.21
200 13.61 14.33
250 15.27 16.38

A vibrating piezoelectric element produces an AC voltage

while the electrochemical battery necessitates a sustained DC
voltage. In this regard, the overall electrical system is
implemented in Matlab (Simulink) consisting of a rectifier, Pi
Fig. 6: Heat map of strain distribution along lateral surface
filtering, and boost conversion stages and it is evident in Fig.
The strain is released exponentially with time through the 8. Hence, the corresponding outputs for both PZT-4 and PZT-
damping properties inherited by the spring. Fig. 6 reports the 8 are exhibited in Fig. 9. According to the simulation, 37.88 V
measured results of the longitudinal and lateral strains of inner and 40.97 V of DC output was obtained from the overall
liner for 250 pa inflicted on PZT-4. The maximum strain is system for PZT-4 and PZT-8 respectively at a differential
applied in the lower spring seat which gradually decreases in a strain of 250 pa which can be stored in a battery. All the
damping motion upwards to the upper spring seat. In Fig. 7, the parameters and their respective values are tabulated in Table
simulation result of the generated potential of the PZT-4 IV.
prototype design at 250 pa is shown.

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 efficiency than PZT-4 under identical excitation by 6.78%. We
studied the optimal AC–DC potential output for a PEH through
bridge rectifier followed by a Pi filter to reduce the ripple, and
finally, the output of the DC-DC Boost converter dispenses the
maximum compatibility of PZT-8 above PZT-4 by 7.54%.
Subsequently, for devices with strong piezoelectric coupling,
we propose the overall procedure for enhancing the efficiency
of charging a battery.

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IV. CONCLUSION
This paper illustrates and analyzes an unconventional
energy harvesting method through the vibration of suspension
spring that is non-polluting and environment-friendly. The car
battery can be efficiently charged through the energy
harvesting interference, which can be further used for multiple
car appliances like car indicators and some other utilities.
Considering the acquired electrical energy from vibration is
inadequate, rectification and energy-storing circuits are
necessary to assemble the complete system. The proposed
piezoelectric suspension system can operate as a low-frequency
vibrational energy harvester. A comparative analysis of output
potential was also executed, and PZT-8 shows higher

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