Performance Analysis of a Folded Piezoelectric Energy Harvester for Multidirectional Vibration Energy Capture

Abstract To enhance the adaptability of energy harvesting structures in dynamic environments, this article investigates a folded piezoelectric energy harvester (FPEH) inspired by origami, which enables multidirectional vibration energy capture. The FPEHs are simulated using finite element methods and validated by a corresponding experimental platform. Subsequently, the effects of the design parameters (crease angle, crease position, and mass position) on the FPEH's performance are systematically analyzed under multidirectional vibration conditions. Results indicate that compared with the crease position, increasing crease angles or adjusting the mass positions can induce monotonic changes in the FPEH's performance. Furthermore, the energy harvesting sensitivity direction can be adjusted by collaboratively regulating design parameters. This research is expected to establish an analytical foundation for designing tunable and array-type piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) tailored to multidirectional vibration scenarios.