Study of 3D-printed honeycomb orientation on vibration energy harvesting

Abstract

With the advances in technology, sustainable renewable energy implementation in many applications is becoming important, such as in wireless sensors. Vibration energy harvesting can convert environmental mechanical vibration into useful energy. Honeycomb core structure has shown promising results in cantilever dynamic vibration. However, there is a limited study on its structural variation. This research focuses on different beam thickness and angle orientation of 3D printed hexagonal core structure to improve vibrational cantilever energy harvesting. The beam thickness was studied at 4 mm, 6 mm, and 8 mm with re-oriented honeycomb core at 0°and 30°. The test rig was modelled as a mass-spring system. The model was simulated for modal analysis and power generation with piezoelectric. The natural frequencies and vibration amplitudes were compared between simulation and experimentation with a vibrational shaker machine and a data acquisition device. The results showed that the 30°honeycomb core has better dynamical amplitudes and energy harvesting as compared to the conventional 0°honeycomb core beam. The different beam thicknesses affect the beam stiffness and, therefore, vary the vibrational amplitude and generated power. The 30°core with lower thickness was found to have the highest power generation due to the better distribution of stress along the beam.