Abstract:

Bridges can be subjected to a variety of external loads that can lead to instability and cause vibrations. Fortunately, such vibrations can be a source of unlimited sustainable energy that may powers the devices used to monitor the bridges. A possible way to convert such vibrations is by utilizing the direct piezoelectric effect, a process known as piezoelectric based energy harvesting. The present study investigates piezoelectric energy harvesting from a bridge. A model of the bridge with mounted piezoelectric harvesters was developed under ANSYS APDL. Various scenarios with different moving loads were investigated in time and frequency domains. Moreover, the effect of the positions of the harvesters was also explored. Results confirmed that harvesting vibration energy from bridge systems is a promising source of energy. Also, it can be profitable if the harvesters are located near the maximum mode shape amplitude and they are designed in a way to make their natural frequency match the natural frequency of the moving loads.

Keywords: