Magnetic field energy harvesting with a lead-free piezoelectric high energy conversion material

Abstract

This article presents a high-performance lead-free piezoelectric energy harvester (LPEH) system for magnetic field. It based on a Ba0.85 Ca0.15 Ti0.90 Zr0.10 O3 + CuO 0.3 wt% (BCTZC0.3 ) composite was fabricated by sintering at 1450◦ C. The BCTZC0.3 composite, which has an enhanced high energy conversion constant (d33 × g33 ), shows improved piezoelectric power-generation performance when compared with conventional piezoelectric energy harvesters. The BCTZC0.3-based LPEH produces instantaneous maximum power of 8.2 mW and an energy density of 107.9 mW/cm3 in a weak magnetic field of 250 µT. This system can be used to charge a capacitor and operate a wireless sensor network (WSN) system to provide temperature sensing and radio-frequency (RF) transmission in a 250 µT magnetic field. The proposed LPEH is a promising green-energy device for potentially self-powering WSN systems when applied.