A Case Study on Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting With Using Vortex Generator Plate Modeling for Fluids

Abstract

In parallel with the increasing population and prosperity level with the advancement of technology and science, the need for energy is increasing day by day, and alternative energy production methods are being explored to meet increased energy need. In this study, it is aimed to produce electrical energy through vibrations created in piezoelectric material by placing turbulent plates in a closed system flow channel and increasing turbulence intensity. Vortex generating plates with nozzles of different angles and diameters are designed in 3 dimensional (3D), and the vortex intensities of these vortex generating plates were determined experimentally. Then, the experimental data obtained were simulated using the CFD (Computational Flow Dynamics) program. In this study, it was observed that the best energy harvest efficiency was obtained with the piezoelectric material positioned vertically in the number of 30825 Reynolds. When the distance between the piezoelectric material and the vortex generator plate was 80 mm, 16.5 J/kg Turbulent Kinetic Energy and 0.023 V were obtained. With the development of these methods and tools, it is expected that a more efficient electrical energy harvest will be obtained in the future. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.