Optimal design of unimorph-type cantilevered piezoelectric energy harvesters using level set-based topology optimization by considering manufacturability

TL;DR

This paper introduces a topology optimization method for designing unimorph piezoelectric energy harvesters that maximizes power output at specific frequencies while ensuring manufacturability through microfabrication constraints.

Contribution

It presents a novel level set-based topology optimization approach tailored for unimorph piezoelectric harvesters, incorporating manufacturability constraints and frequency tuning.

Findings

Optimized designs show increased electromechanical coupling.

The method achieves target eigenfrequencies and output voltages.

Designs are verified to be microfabrication-compatible.

Abstract

In this study, we propose a design methodology for a piezoelectric energy-harvesting device optimized for maximal power generation at a designated frequency using topology optimization. The proposed methodology is adapted to the design of a unimorph-type piezoelectric energy harvester, wherein a piezoelectric film is affixed to a singular side of a silicon cantilever beam. Both the substrate and the piezoelectric film components undergo concurrent optimization. Constraints are imposed to ensure that the resultant design is amenable to microfabrication, with specific emphasis on the etchability of piezoelectric energy harvesters. Several numerical examples are provided to validate the efficacy of the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method yields optimized substrate and piezoelectric designs with an enhanced electromechanical coupling coefficient, while allowing the eigenfrequency of the device and the minimum output voltage to be set to the desired values. Furthermore, the proposed method can provide solutions that satisfy the cross-sectional shape, substrate-dependent, and minimum output voltage constraints. The solutions obtained by the proposed method are manufacturable in the field of microfabrication.