Modeling and experimental verification of low-frequency MEMS energy harvesting from ambient vibrations

Micro-fabricated piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters with resonance frequencies of 31-232 Hz are characterized and deployed for testing on ambient vibration sources in the machine room of a large building. A survey of 23 ambient vibration sources in the machine room is presented. A model is developed which uses a discretization method to accept measured arbitrary acceleration data as an input and gives harvester response as output. The modeled and measured output from the energy harvesters is compared for both vibrometer and ambient vibration sources. The energy harvesters produced up to 43 nW(rms) g(-2) on a laboratory vibrometer and 10 nW g(-2) on ambient vibration sources typically in large buildings.