A FLEXIBLE PIEZOELECTRIC GENERATOR USING KNN- LI/PVDF/MWCNT FOR ENERGY HARVESTING APPLICATION

Abstract

The subject of energy harvesting has advanced significantly within the previous couple of years in response to the growing need for renewable, portable, and sustainable energy sources. The purpose of such devices is to capture ambient energies and convert them into usable electrical energy. In this reported work, piezoelectric generator (PEG) based on Li modified (K,Na)NbO3, and MWCNT as a filler in Poly-vinylidene fluoride (KNN-Li/PVDF/MWCNT) flexible composite films were made by use of different KNN-Li percentage (0%,10%,15% and 20%) on the polymer’s weight. The films were characterized using X-Ray diffraction to determine the crystallinity of the films and Fourier- transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to determine the presence of β-phase in the synthesized films. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is used to analyse the morphology of composite films. Piezoelectric energy harvesting performance of the constructed device was analysed by applying the force on the surface of device with the help of finger tapping method. The maximum open circuit voltage obtained in the present work is 31.1 V for 10 wt.% KNN-Li in the MWCNT and PVDF. The obtained results for PEG can be used to derive self-powered and wearable devices.