Modeling and Experimental Study of a Low-Frequency-Vibration-Based Power Generator Using ZnO Nanowire Arrays

Author

Yang, Bin ; Lee, Chengkuo ; Ho, Ghim Wei ; Ong, Wei Li ; Liu, Jingquan ; Yang, Chunsheng

Author_Institution

Sci. & Technol. on Micro/Nano Fabrication Lab., Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ., Shanghai, China

Volume

21

Issue

4

fYear

2012

Firstpage

776

Lastpage

778

Abstract

A piezoelectric power generator based on ZnO nanowire arrays (NWAs) is proposed for scavenging energy from low-frequency ambient vibration. A low-temperature and low-cost hydrothermal method is employed to grow the uniform ZnO nanowires with the diameters of ~ 70 nm and lengths of ~2.5 . A theoretical model is derived to better understand piezoelectric-energy harvesting and to predict the output performance of cylindrical ZnO NWAs. The open-circuit output voltages of the resonant generators at normal and shear modes are 1.1 and 3.59 mV, respectively.

Keywords

II-VI semiconductors; electric power generation; energy harvesting; nanowires; piezoelectric transducers; vibrations; wide band gap semiconductors; zinc compounds; NWA; ZnO; hydrothermal method; low-frequency-vibration-based power generator; nanowire array; open-circuit output voltage; piezoelectric power generator; piezoelectric-energy harvesting; resonant generator; voltage 1.1 mV; voltage 3.59 mV; Acceleration; Generators; Resonant frequency; Silicon; Substrates; Vibrations; Zinc oxide; Hydrothermal method; low frequency; power generator; vibration; zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Microelectromechanical Systems, Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1057-7157

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JMEMS.2012.2190716

Filename

6177209