Design and Fabrication of Smart material based Portable Energy Harvester for Automotive Application

Energy harvesting in vehicles using smart materials is a promising approach for improving fuel efficiency, safety, and range. Smart materials are materials that can change their properties in response to external stimuli, such as stress, strain, temperature, or electric fields. This makes them ideal for converting waste energy from vehicles into electricity. Vehicles generate a significant amount of waste energy from the suspension system, tires, brakes, and engine. Piezoelectric, triboelectric, and thermoelectric materials can be used to convert this waste energy into electricity. Piezoelectric materials convert vibrations and mechanical stress into electricity, triboelectric materials convert friction and contact into electricity, and thermoelectric materials convert heat into electricity. Energy harvesting devices can be used to power low-power sensors and electronics, such as tire pressure sensors, engine temperature sensors, and safety features such as airbags and anti-lock braking systems. Energy harvesting devices can also be used to extend the range of electric vehicles by reducing their reliance on batteries. Energy harvesting in vehicles using smart materials is a rapidly developing field with the potential to revolutionize the transportation industry. In this energy harvesting project the voltage response obtained through experimental analysis on the four wheeler by using Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT-5A) is 320 mV.