• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제26권6호
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• pp.681-692
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• 2020

Conventional Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters (CPEH) have been extensively studied for maximizing their electrical output through material selection, geometric and structural optimization, and adoption of efficient interface circuits. In this paper, the performance of Stepped Piezoelectric Energy Harvester (SPEH) under harmonic base excitation is studied analytically, numerically and experimentally. The motivation is to compare the energy harvesting performance of CPEH and SPEHs with the same characteristics (resonant frequency). The results of this study challenge the notion of achieving higher voltage and power output through incorporation of geometric discontinuities such as step sections in the harvester beams. A CPEH consists of substrate material with a patch of piezoelectric material bonded over it and a tip mass at the free end to tune the resonant frequency. A SPEH is designed by introducing a step section near the root of substrate beam to induce higher dynamic strain for maximizing the electrical output. The incorporation of step section reduces the stiffness and consequently, a lower tip mass is used with SPEH to match the resonant frequency to that of CPEH. Moreover, the electromechanical coupling coefficient, forcing function and damping are significantly influenced because of the inclusion of step section, which consequently affects harvester's output. Three different configurations of SPEHs characterized by the same resonant frequency as that of CPEH are designed and analyzed using linear electromechanical model and their performances are compared. The variation of strain on the harvester beams is obtained using finite element analysis. The prototypes of CPEH and SPEHs are fabricated and experimentally tested. It is shown that the power output from SPEHs is lower than the CPEH. When the prototypes with resonant frequencies in the range of 56-56.5 Hz are tested at 1 m/s2, three SPEHs generate power output of 482 μW, 424 μW and 228 μW when compared with 674 μW from CPEH. It is concluded that the advantage of increasing dynamic strain using step section is negated by increase in damping and decrease in forcing function. However, SPEHs show slightly better performance in terms of specific power and thus making them suitable for practical scenarios where the ratio of power to system mass is critical.

• 한국전기전자재료학회논문지
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• 제35권4호
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• pp.407-411
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• 2022

Bulk-sized PbTiO₃ (PT), which is widely known as a high-performance ferroelectric oxide but cannot be fabricated into a monolithic ceramic due to its high c/a ratio, was successfully prepared with a high tetragonality by partially substituting Ni ions for Pb ions using a solid-state reaction method. We found that Ni-doped PT was well-fabricated as a bulk monolith with a significant c/a ratio of ~1.06. X-ray diffraction on as-sintered and crushed samples revealed that NiTiO₃ secondary phase was present at the doping level of more than 2 at.%. Scanning electron microscopic study showed that NiTiO₃ secondary phase grew on the surface of PT specimens regardless of the doping level possibly due to the evaporation of Pb during sintering. We demonstrated that an unconventional introduction of Ni ions into A-site plays a key role on the fabrication of bulk PT, though how Ni ion functions should be studied further. We expect that this study contributes to a further development of displacive ferroelectric oxides with a high c/a ratio.

• 한국전기전자재료학회논문지
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• 제35권5호
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• pp.516-521
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• 2022

We investigated the microstructure, crystal structure, dielectric, and elecromechanical strain properties of lead-free BaTiO₃ (BT)-modified (Bi_1/2Na_1/2)TiO₃-SrTiO₃ (BNT-ST) piezoelectric ceramics. Samples were prepared by a conventional ceramic processing route. Temperature dependent dielectric properties confirmed that a phase transition from a nonergodic relaxor to an ergodic relaxor was induced when the BT concentration reached 1.5 mol%, interestingly, where the average grain size reached a maximum value of 4.5 ㎛. At the same time, enhanced electromechanical strain (S_max/E_max = 600 pm/V) was obtained. It is suggested that the induced ferroelectric-relaxor phase transition by the BT modification is responsible for the enhancement of electromechanical strain in 1.5 mol% BT-modified BNT-ST ceramics.

• Composites Research
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.145-150
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• 2016

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)는 압전성을 나타내는 대표적인 고분자로 1960년대부터 많은 연구가 진행되어 왔다. PVDF는 반결정의 고분자로써 5가지의 결정 구조(${\alpha}$, ${\beta}$, ${\gamma}$, ${\delta}$, 그리고 ${\varepsilon}$형)로 구성되어 있다. ${\alpha}$형과 ${\delta}$형 결정은 전기적으로 반응하지 않는 무극성 결정구조이나 ${\beta}$형, ${\gamma}$형 그리고 ${\varepsilon}$형은 전기적으로 반응하는 극성 결정구조이다. 그 중에서도 ${\beta}$형 결정구조는 트랜스 형 분자 쇄가 평행으로 충진 된 형태로서 PVDF 단위체가 갖는 영구 쌍극자가 모두 한 방향으로 배열되어 있는 구조이기 때문에 자발 분극이 커지게 되고 압전성을 나타내게 된다. 일반적으로 ${\beta}$형 결정구조는 연신을 통한 ${\alpha}$형 결정구조의 변환을 통하여 얻을 수 있고, 연신 후 후처리 공정을 통해 그 양을 증가시킬 수 있다. 습식방사로 제조된 PVDF 섬유는 응고욕에서 극성 용매의 확산 메커니즘에 의해 ${\beta}$형 결정구조가 형성되는 장점을 가지고 있지만 극성 용매가 빠져나감과 동시에 섬유 고화가 진행되기 때문에 용매의 확산 경로가 섬유 내부 기공으로 남게 되는 단점을 가지고 있다. 이 기공은 폴링(Poling) 공정에서 전기장에 의한 분극을 방해하여 그 효과를 감소시키는 역할을 한다. 또한, PVDF 섬유가 압전 특성을 필요로 하는 응용분야에 사용되기 위해서는 섬유 가공 후에 전극이 반드시 부착되어야 하는데 섬유 형태로 제조된 PVDF에 전극을 형성하기는 매우 어렵다. 본 연구에서는 압전성을 갖는 PVDF 섬유를 습식 방사와 건식 방사의 혼합 공정으로 제조하여 기공 문제를 해결하였고, 전극이 섬유 내부에 삽입된 Core/Shell 형태의 PVDF 섬유를 제조하여 까다로운 전극형성 문제를 해결하였다.