Energy harvesting from large amplitude vibrations of pipes conveying fluid using piezoelectric layers with varying spanning angle

Abstract This study analytically investigates the large-amplitude vibrations of a fluid-conveying piezoelectric pipe supported at both ends and resting on a nonlinear viscoelastic foundation. To enable energy harvesting, two piezoelectric layers with varying spanning angles are placed on the upper and lower surfaces of the pipe, which is subjected to external harmonic excitation near primary resonance. The modeling framework is based on Euler-Bernoulli beam theory combined with von Kármán nonlinear strain-displacement relations. Hamilton’s principle is employed to derive the governing equations of motion, which are subsequently reduced to a set of ordinary differential equations using the Galerkin method. The harmonic balance method is then utilized to derive analytical expressions for the amplitude–frequency response, voltage output, harvested power, and force–response behavior. The influence of damping coefficient, excitation force, excitation frequency and load resistance on the system’s response is examined in detail. The findings highlight the existence of optimal values for load resistance and spanning angle that maximize the electrical output.