Comparative Analysis of Energy Harvesting from Hybrid Bistable Symmetric Laminates Using Piezoelectric Patches

This study experimentally examines the energy harvesting potential of a hybrid bistable symmetric laminate (HBSL) with a cantilever boundary condition. Two MFC-d31 patches i.e., (i) Small patch (28×7×0.3) mm3 and (ii) Big patch (85×7×0.3) mm3 are attached with two fabricated HBSL in unimorph configuration, and their harvested power densities (Power per unit volume of MFC patch) are compared. Frequency sweeps are performed for both the laminates at various excitation amplitudes, and the softening effect is observed from the harvested power density response curve. The results indicate that the larger patch experiences more strain change during vibration, leading to higher harvested energy per unit piezoelectric patch volume.