Cloud-enabled piezoelectric smart infrastructure for urban monitoring applications

The urban infrastructure development has grown rapidly, and one must be able to monitor it in a sustainable and intelligent way, with very low dependence on external power supply. In this work, a cloud-based piezoelectric smart infrastructure system is proposed to convert the mechanical energy generated while vehicles are traveling, human movements, and vibrations of buildings to facilitate the monitoring of cities. The self-powered sensing network requires the inclusion of piezoelectric transducers in roads, bridges or other public structures that will generate an electric current in response to mechanical stress. This study focuses on the mechanical design and dynamic loading performance analysis of piezoelectric modules. To determine the optimal properties of the system, stress distribution, vibration properties, the efficiency of energy conversion and strength are evaluated. The harvested energy is utilized to drive sensors that continuously monitor traffic flow, structure health and vibration. Data is collected and forwarded to a cloud-based platform for centralized data storage, analysis, and predictive maintenance planning. The cloud-based design allows for continuous monitoring of infrastructure and reduces the need for power and manual inspections. The proposed system provides a practical solution.