US 11,800,807 B2
High-power-density piezoelectric energy harvesting system
Jian-Qiao Sun, Merced, CA (US); Cheng Chen, Irvine, CA (US); Amir Sharafi, Merced, CA (US); Tian-Bing Xu, Chesapeake, VA (US); and Atousa Yazdani, Davis, CA (US)
Assigned to THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, Oakland, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/264,686
Filed by The Regents of the University of California, Oakland, CA (US)
PCT Filed Jul. 31, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/044549
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 29, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/028592, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 6, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/854,832, filed on May 30, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/712,877, filed on Jul. 31, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0305488 A1, Sep. 30, 2021
Int. Cl. H01L 41/113 (2006.01); H10N 30/30 (2023.01); H02N 2/18 (2006.01); H10N 30/80 (2023.01)
CPC H10N 30/306 (2023.02) [H02N 2/181 (2013.01); H10N 30/802 (2023.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An energy-harvester power-unit, comprising:
a structural block having a first face and an opposing second face that is substantially parallel to the first face, the structural block having a cavity formed therethrough, the structural block further having a plurality of openings formed therethrough from the first face to the second face, each of the plurality of openings having conically-shaped elements formed thereon on the first face and the second face of the structural block;
a first contactor arm mechanically coupled to the first face of the structural block and a second contactor arm mechanically coupled the second face of the structural block on a first end of each of the respective contactor arms, each of the contactor arms spanning over at least a portion of the cavity;
a force-contact bar mechanically coupled to each of the contactor arms at a second end of the respective contactor arm, the force-contact bars positioned to be substantially over the cavity;
a first elastic beam mechanically coupled substantially parallel to the first face and a second elastic beam mechanically coupled substantially parallel to the second face, both of the elastic beams positioned substantially over the cavity of the structural block; the elastic beams being mechanically coupled to respective ones of the contactor arms;
a piezoelectric element positioned within the cavity and mechanically coupled to the structural block, a longitudinal axis of the piezoelectric element being substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the force-contact bars; and
a pair of conically-shaped compression elements configured to be matingly coupled to each of the plurality of openings to compress the piezoelectric element.