sensors-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Flexible and Stretchable Piezoelectric Devices for Mechanical Sensing and Energy Harvesting

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Physical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (21 July 2019) | Viewed by 37464

Special Issue Editors

Division of Advanced Materials Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea
Interests: piezoelectric; ferroelectric; dielectric; pyroelectric; energy harvesting; electromechanical coupling; biomimetics; soft devices
Energy Materials and Devices Laboratory (EMDL), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea
Interests: energy harvesting; flexible electronics; composite materials; piezoelectric/thermoelectric devices

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent developments in the field of flexible and stretchable technologies have accelerated the feasibility of practical uses in various real-life applications, such as smart mobile devices, healthcare sensors, and the Internet of Things (IoT). In particular, self-powered electronic systems based on piezoelectric devices, in formats that are thin, flexible, and even stretchable, have drawn much attention because they could provide permanent, long-lasting, remote use of widespread devices.

Piezoelectric energy harvesting devices that convert the electricity from mechanical energy resources have been considered as a promising candidate for power sources of flexible and stretchable electronic devices without environmental restraints. Mechanical sensors based on piezoelectric materials enable self-powered sensors without additional energy sources.

This Special Issue aims to gather the review articles, as well as original research papers, and to highlight advances in the development, testing, and application of flexible and stretchable mechanical energy harvesting and sensing devices based on piezoelectric materials.

Dr. Chang Kyu Jeong
Dr. Kwi-Il Park
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Flexible
  • Stretchable
  • Wearable
  • Self-powered sensor
  • Flexible electronics
  • Energy harvester
  • Pressure sensor
  • Mechanical sensor
  • Tactile sensor
  • Healthcare
  • Sensor network
  • Internet of things

Published Papers (8 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

11 pages, 1923 KiB  
Article
A Comparison Study of Fatigue Behavior of Hard and Soft Piezoelectric Single Crystal Macro-Fiber Composites for Vibration Energy Harvesting
by Mahesh Peddigari, Ga-Yeon Kim, Chan Hee Park, Yuho Min, Jong-Woo Kim, Cheol-Woo Ahn, Jong-Jin Choi, Byung-Dong Hahn, Joon-Hwan Choi, Dong-Soo Park, Jae-Keun Hong, Jong-Taek Yeom, Kwi-Il Park, Dae-Yong Jeong, Woon-Ha Yoon, Jungho Ryu and Geon-Tae Hwang
Sensors 2019, 19(9), 2196; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19092196 - 13 May 2019
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 4759
Abstract
Designing a piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) with high power density and high fatigue resistance is essential for the successful replacement of the currently using batteries in structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. Among the various designs, the PEH comprising of a cantilever structure as [...] Read more.
Designing a piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) with high power density and high fatigue resistance is essential for the successful replacement of the currently using batteries in structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. Among the various designs, the PEH comprising of a cantilever structure as a passive layer and piezoelectric single crystal-based fiber composites (SFC) as an active layer showed excellent performance due to its high electromechanical properties and dynamic flexibilities that are suitable for low frequency vibrations. In the present study, an effort was made to investigate the reliable performance of hard and soft SFC based PEHs. The base acceleration of both PEHs is held at 7 m/s2 and the frequency of excitation is tuned to their resonant frequency (fr) and then the output power (Prms) is monitored for 107 fatigue cycles. The effect of fatigue cycles on the output voltage, vibration displacement, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties of PEHs was analyzed. It was noticed that fatigue-induced performance degradation is more prominent in soft SFC-based PEH (SS-PEH) than in hard SFC-based PEH (HS-PEH). The HS-PEH showed a slight degradation in the output power due to a shift in fr, however, no degradation in the maximum power was noticed, in fact, dielectric and ferroelectric properties were improved even after 107 vibration cycles. In this context, the present study provides a pathway to consider the fatigue life of piezoelectric material for the designing of PEH to be used at resonant conditions for long-term operation. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 5192 KiB  
Article
Pyroelectric Energy Conversion and Its Applications—Flexible Energy Harvesters and Sensors
by Atul Thakre, Ajeet Kumar, Hyun-Cheol Song, Dae-Yong Jeong and Jungho Ryu
Sensors 2019, 19(9), 2170; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19092170 - 10 May 2019
Cited by 84 | Viewed by 9015
Abstract
Among the various forms of natural energies, heat is the most prevalent and least harvested energy. Scavenging and detecting stray thermal energy for conversion into electrical energy can provide a cost-effective and reliable energy source for modern electrical appliances and sensor applications. Along [...] Read more.
Among the various forms of natural energies, heat is the most prevalent and least harvested energy. Scavenging and detecting stray thermal energy for conversion into electrical energy can provide a cost-effective and reliable energy source for modern electrical appliances and sensor applications. Along with this, flexible devices have attracted considerable attention in scientific and industrial communities as wearable and implantable harvesters in addition to traditional thermal sensor applications. This review mainly discusses thermal energy conversion through pyroelectric phenomena in various lead-free as well as lead-based ceramics and polymers for flexible pyroelectric energy harvesting and sensor applications. The corresponding thermodynamic heat cycles and figures of merit of the pyroelectric materials for energy harvesting and heat sensing applications are also briefly discussed. Moreover, this study provides guidance on designing pyroelectric materials for flexible pyroelectric and hybrid energy harvesting. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 6180 KiB  
Article
Active PZT Composite Microfluidic Channel for Bioparticle Manipulation
by Tomas Janusas, Kestutis Pilkauskas, Giedrius Janusas and Arvydas Palevicius
Sensors 2019, 19(9), 2020; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19092020 - 29 Apr 2019
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3316
Abstract
The concept of active microchannel for precise manipulation of particles in biomedicine is reported in this paper. A novel vibration-assisted thermal imprint method is proposed for effective formation of a microchannel network in the nanocomposite piezo polymer layer. In this method, bulk acoustic [...] Read more.
The concept of active microchannel for precise manipulation of particles in biomedicine is reported in this paper. A novel vibration-assisted thermal imprint method is proposed for effective formation of a microchannel network in the nanocomposite piezo polymer layer. In this method, bulk acoustic waves of different wavelengths excited in an imprinted microstructure enable it to function in trapping–patterning, valve, or free particle passing modes. Acoustic waves are excited using a special pattern of electrodes formed on its top surface and a single electric ground electrode formed on the bottom surface. To develop the microchannel, we first started with lead zirconate titanate (PZT) nanopowder [Pb (Zrx, Ti1−x) O3] synthesis. The PZT was further mixed with three different binding materials—polyvinyl butyral (PVB), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and polystyrene (PS)—in benzyl alcohol to prepare a screen-printing paste. Then, using conventional screen printing techniques, three types of PZT coatings on copper foil substrates were obtained. To improve the voltage characteristics, the coatings were polarized. Their structural and chemical composition was analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM), while the mechanical and electrical characteristics were determined using the COMSOL Multiphysics model with experimentally obtained parameters of periodic response of the layered copper foil structure. The hydrophobic properties of the PZT composite were analyzed by measuring the contact angle between the distilled water drop and the three different polymer composites: PZT with PVB, PZT with PMMA, and PZT with PS. Finally, the behavior of the microchannel formed in the nanocomposite piezo polymer was simulated by applying electrical excitation signal on the pattern of electrodes and then analyzed experimentally using holographic interferometry. Wave-shaped vibration forms of the microchannel were obtained, thereby enabling particle manipulation. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 1872 KiB  
Article
Modelling and Laboratory Tests of the Temperature Influence on the Efficiency of the Energy Harvesting System Based on MFC Piezoelectric Transducers
by Marek Płaczek and Grzegorz Kokot
Sensors 2019, 19(7), 1558; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19071558 - 31 Mar 2019
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2830
Abstract
Macro Fibre Composites (MFC) are very effective piezoelectric transducers that, among others, can be used as elements of energy harvesting systems. The possibility to generate electric energy, for example, from mechanical vibrations in order to power electrical elements that could not be powered [...] Read more.
Macro Fibre Composites (MFC) are very effective piezoelectric transducers that, among others, can be used as elements of energy harvesting systems. The possibility to generate electric energy, for example, from mechanical vibrations in order to power electrical elements that could not be powered in another way (using wires or batteries) is a great solution. However, such a kind of systems has to be designed by considering all phenomena that could occur during the exploitation of the system. One of those phenomena is the temperature fluctuation during the device operation. In the presented research work, a mathematical model of the energy harvesting system based on MFC transducers is proposed. The mathematical model was validated by laboratory tests conducted on a laboratory stand equipped with a universal mechanical testing machine (Instron Electropuls 10000) and a thermal chamber. During the tests, the samples were subjected to cyclic excitation simulating the operation of the system in various environmental conditions by forcing changes in the system operation temperature with the constant conditions of its excitation. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 5310 KiB  
Article
Dual-Structured Flexible Piezoelectric Film Energy Harvesters for Effectively Integrated Performance
by Jae Hyun Han, Kwi-Il Park and Chang Kyu Jeong
Sensors 2019, 19(6), 1444; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19061444 - 24 Mar 2019
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 4154
Abstract
Improvement of energy harvesting performance from flexible thin film-based energy harvesters is essential to accomplish future self-powered electronics and sensor systems. In particular, the integration of harvesting signals should be established as a single device configuration without complicated device connections or expensive methodologies. [...] Read more.
Improvement of energy harvesting performance from flexible thin film-based energy harvesters is essential to accomplish future self-powered electronics and sensor systems. In particular, the integration of harvesting signals should be established as a single device configuration without complicated device connections or expensive methodologies. In this research, we study the dual-film structures of the flexible PZT film energy harvester experimentally and theoretically to propose an effective principle for integrating energy harvesting signals. Laser lift-off (LLO) processes are used for fabrication because this is known as the most efficient technology for flexible high-performance energy harvesters. We develop two different device structures using the multistep LLO: a stacked structure and a double-faced (bimorph) structure. Although both structures are well demonstrated without serious material degradation, the stacked structure is not efficient for energy harvesting due to the ineffectively applied strain to the piezoelectric film in bending. This phenomenon stems from differences in position of mechanical neutral planes, which is investigated by finite element analysis and calculation. Finally, effectively integrated performance is achieved by a bimorph dual-film-structured flexible energy harvester. Our study will foster the development of various structures in flexible energy harvesters towards self-powered sensor applications with high efficiency. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 3470 KiB  
Article
Damage Detection Performance of the Electromechanical Impedance (EMI) Technique with Various Attachment Methods on Glass Fibre Composite Plates
by Rudy Tawie, Hee Beom Park, Jongdae Baek and Wongi S. Na
Sensors 2019, 19(5), 1000; https://doi.org/10.3390/s19051000 - 26 Feb 2019
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3740
Abstract
Composite materials such as glass and carbon fibre composites have become popular and the preferred choice in various applications due to their many advantages such as corrosion resistance, design flexibility, high strength and light weight. Combining materials with different mechanical properties make composites [...] Read more.
Composite materials such as glass and carbon fibre composites have become popular and the preferred choice in various applications due to their many advantages such as corrosion resistance, design flexibility, high strength and light weight. Combining materials with different mechanical properties make composites more difficult to evaluate where the damage mechanisms for composites are more complex than traditional materials such as steel. A relatively new non-destructive testing (NDT) method known as the electromechanical impedance (EMI) technique has been studied by various researchers, but the damage detection performance of the method on composite structures still requires more investigations before it can be accepted for field application, especially in aerospace industry due to the high standard of safety. In this paper, the detection capabilities and performance of the EMI technique subjected to different PZT attachment methods have been investigated. To this end, glass fibre composite plates with various attachment methods for the sensor have been prepared and detection of common defects such as delamination and crack with the EMI technique under study has been performed. The performance of each attachment method for identifying different damage types has been analysed and finite element analysis (FEA) was carried out for verification of the experimental results. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 512 KiB  
Article
Modeling and Efficiency Analysis of a Piezoelectric Energy Harvester Based on the Flow Induced Vibration of a Piezoelectric Composite Pipe
by Maoying Zhou, Mohannad Saleh Hammadi Al-Furjan and Ban Wang
Sensors 2018, 18(12), 4277; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18124277 - 05 Dec 2018
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3740
Abstract
This paper proposes and investigates a piezoelectric energy harvesting system based on the flow induced vibration of a piezoelectric composite cantilever pipe. Dynamic equations for the proposed energy harvester are derived considering the fluid-structure interaction and piezoelectric coupling vibration. Linear global stability analysis [...] Read more.
This paper proposes and investigates a piezoelectric energy harvesting system based on the flow induced vibration of a piezoelectric composite cantilever pipe. Dynamic equations for the proposed energy harvester are derived considering the fluid-structure interaction and piezoelectric coupling vibration. Linear global stability analysis of the fluid-solid-electric coupled system is done using the numerical continuation method to find the neutrally stable vibration mode of the system. A measure of the energy harvesting efficiency of the system is proposed and analyzed. A series of simulations are conducted to throw light upon the influences of mass ratio, dimensionless electromechanical coupling, and dimensionless connected resistance upon the critical reduced velocity and the normalized energy harvesting efficiency. The results provide useful guidelines for the practical design of piezoelectric energy harvester based on fluid structure interaction and indicate some future topics to be investigated to optimize the device performance. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

20 pages, 6289 KiB  
Review
Electro-Active Paper as a Flexible Mechanical Sensor, Actuator and Energy Harvesting Transducer: A Review
by Asif Khan, Faisal Raza Khan and Heung Soo Kim
Sensors 2018, 18(10), 3474; https://doi.org/10.3390/s18103474 - 15 Oct 2018
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4639
Abstract
Electro-active paper (EAPap) is a cellulose-based smart material that has shown promising results in a variety of smart applications (e.g., vibration sensor, piezo-speaker, bending actuator) with the merits of being flexible, lightweight, fracture tolerant, biodegradable, naturally abundant, cheap, biocompatible, and with the ability [...] Read more.
Electro-active paper (EAPap) is a cellulose-based smart material that has shown promising results in a variety of smart applications (e.g., vibration sensor, piezo-speaker, bending actuator) with the merits of being flexible, lightweight, fracture tolerant, biodegradable, naturally abundant, cheap, biocompatible, and with the ability to form hybrid nanocomposites. This paper presents a review of the characterization and application of EAPap as a flexible mechanical vibration/strain sensor, bending actuator, and vibration energy harvester. The working mechanism of EAPap is explained along with the various parameters and factors that influence the sensing, actuation, and energy harvesting capabilities of EAPap. Although the piezoelectricity of EAPap is comparable to that of commercially available polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), EAPap has the preferable merits in terms of natural abundance and ample capacity of chemical modification. The article would provide guidelines for the characterization and application of EAPap in mechanical sensing, actuation, and vibration energy scavenging, along with the possible limitations and future research prospects. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop