Optimization of the compression-based piezoelectric traffic model (CPTM) for road energy harvesting application

Abstract

This paper employs the Two-Degree-of-Freedom (2DOF) electromechanical model to show the probability of the piezoelectric approach as an option for energy scavenging devices in roadway applications. The passing vehicles are the main energy source for harvesting device. A 2DOF electromechanical model as the piezoelectric harvesting unit is applied to explain the harvester performance in a single lane road. APC piezoelectric ceramic (APC 855) is selected as the optimum piezoelectric material due to its high piezoelectric constant values and high piezoelectric charge constant. Also, in the traffic model, we employ a Cellular Automata (CA) model. The vehicle dynamics model is used to transfer information from the traffic model to the piezoelectric model. Combining both the traffic model, i.e. the piezoelectric and the vehicle dynamics model, results in the compression-based piezoelectric traffic model (CPTM). In a single-lane traffic model with different arrival rate λ, a single circleshaped Piezoelectric Cymbal Transducer (PCT) with thickness of 0.3 mm and diameter of 32 mm is applied, in which the produced power is 14.126 W and 29.746 W and 6.47 W. Based on these outcomes, if we lay multiple PCT arrays along the highway road, a large amount of power can be produced. Hence, a great potential is shown by the proposed electromechanicaltraffic model for applications related to the macro-scale roadway electric power generation systems. © 2019 International Journal of Renewable Energy Research.