INTEGRATED PIEZOELECTRIC AND THERMOELECTRIC SENSING AND ENERGY CONVERSION

An integrative approach is carried out utilizing piezoelectric and thermoelectric device sciences, computational modeling and engineering design/testing. Numerical FEA simulation is used extensively to guide the frequency dependent transducer design, device fabrication and power electronics conversion. The research is to develop modular hybrid integrated sensing and energy conversion (HISEC) unit with optimized energy density and power efficiency. While electric power converted from roadways by a single unit (occupying an area of less than 0.1 m(2)) using piezoelectric or thermoelectric mechanism alone, is considered intermittent or inadequate for intended applications, the energy conversion integrations make it possible to have complementary and parallel modes of energy-harvesting from roadways to have a self-sustained power source that supports sensing and data transmission functions. The evaluation and testing results obtained validated the design concept and are the base for further optimizations. The HISEC module developed is independent of the power grid and with on-demand data monitoring and information transmitting capabilities, thus could play an enabling role in applications such as smart-roadways and smart-cities.