CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES has developed several types of piezoelectric actuators displaying interesting properties for vibration and shock energy harvesting. Among them, Amplified Piezoelectric Actuators (APA®) combined with a mass operating in a proof mass mode are especially interesting piezoelectric generators:
- The APA® are able to bear large external vibrations because of their internal preload and their good high electromechanical coupling factor.
- The proof mass resonant frequency can be adjusted to the frequencies of the vibration source by selecting the appropriate APA® among a wide range of stiffnesses and by adapting the added mass.
Using this approach and its standard actuators, CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES can easily define customised piezo generators for vibration or shock energy harvesting.
CEDRAT TECHNOLOGIES has also developed complete energy harvesting devices including the electronics. One of the examples given hereafter consists in a piezo generator used to supply a sensor embedded on aircraft and its RF emitter to broadcast the sensor signal.
