توسعه تولید برق برای جمع آوری انرژی فیزوالکتریک برای پایداری در اطراف جاده ها Power Generation Improvement for Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting for Roadsides Sustainability

I. INTRODUCTION Piezoelectric materials can be used to convert oscillatory mechanical energy into electrical energy. Piezoelectric (PZT) energy harvesting technology has significant advantages over other renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal [1, 2]. Using the gravitational force of running vehicles, power can be produced on the roadways when piezoelectric materials are embedded into the asphalt highways [3]. This technology has been tested for a variety of purposes, including sensors [4], for roadway lighting and bridge bearing, structural health monitoring [2, 3], deicing and traffic monitoring. Although recent research projects have paid attention to this energy harvesting technology, few data are available for its use under or in roadway pavements. The materials include, but are not limited to, carpets, rubber, concrete, asphalt, etc. There is a highly urgent need to develop a lab-scale research framework that enables assessment of the technology on the PZ material and other materials coupled with it. II. METHODS An Asphalt Pavement Analyzer (APA) is used to test PZT materials embedded in different kind of materials. The AP A can be set to run in different speed. This experiment was conducted under the assumption of 600 vehicles per hour at 45 mph. The load on the asphalt mix from each vehicle was 100 Ibs. In this study, AP A frequency was set to 30 Hz. Nine different kind of materials are used in this project to test their abilities to generate power when two PZTs were embedded into each of those materials. One PZT was under direct force and the other was under indirect force which means this PZT is not directly under the APA load but gets the force when the AP A loader runs through the material. Measurement of voltage generated was measured at no load and with load condition. For loading condition, the PZTs were directly connected to a bridge rectifier and the generated output voltage was measured across a resistor. A potentiometer was used to change the load resistor value. Diodes used for bridge rectifier were IN4001 and an electrolyte capacitor of 10 /IF was used across output resistor. An oscilloscope was also attached to the load to see the voltage wave shapes.