Piezoelectric energy harvesting from pavement

Roadway pavements are continuously exposed to vehicle loading and solar radiation, which induces mechanical vibration in pavement layers. Mechanical energy can be converted into electricity via stress or vibration using piezoelectric transducers placed on pavement surface or embedded in the pavement. The main types of piezoelectric transducer include cantilever beam, disk/rod shape, bridge, cymbal, and layered lead zirconate titanate composite. Different types of piezoelectric transducer vary in the mechanical stress generated in the transducer that affects both the fatigue life and power output of transducer. The section of piezoelectric transducer design should be based on the requirement of placement method and the demand for the generated energy. Further research is needed for large-scale applications, in addition to the improvement of material durability and reduction of material costs. It is more practical to apply harvested energy for roadway-related applications that avoid power loss during transmission at the same time. The major benefit is that the piezoelectric energy harvesting system provides a distributed system to generate electricity.