Low-Cost Novel Piezoelectric Module for Harvesting Energy from Two-Layer Pavement Systems

Over the years, there has been increase in energy demand, and with the advent of innovative materials, technologies and electronic circuits, piezoelectric crystals have gained immense importance in harvesting energy from motions and vibrations. Recent studies have demonstrated that the use of PZT (Lead Zirconium Titanium) pile or PZT module is highly effective in harvesting energy from pavements. This paper demonstrates the development of a low-cost energy harvesting PZT module and compares the voltage developed in the three different pavement systems. The pavement used in the study is a two-layer system with three different surface layers, viz., granular surface, bituminous surface, and concrete surface. The thickness of the surface layer is 50 mm and the total thickness of the pavement system is 225 mm. The experimental studies were carried out in a mold of 300 mm diameter and the PZT module was placed at the bottom of the surface layer. The experimental studies were carried out for different magnitudes of load ranging from 0.5 to 10 kN and for a range of frequency from 0.1 to 1.0 Hz. To simulate the wheel loads, haversine loading has been applied to the different pavement systems. The experimental studies revealed that the voltage generated is directly proportional to the magnitude and frequency of load. A comparison of the experimental results highlights that the embedment of PZT module will be effective for flexible pavement systems with bituminous surfacing.