Implementation of a Hybrid Plant-Shaped Energy Harvester Using Flexible Polyvinylidene Fluoride(PVDF) Piezoelectric and Solar Films

Abstract

Several studies have shown that Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) Piezoelectric Films can be an excellent developing tool in energy harvesting, medical surgeries, and robotics applications. However, the progress in implementing and developing this piezoelectric component in energy harvesting remains to be utilized. While solar films are widely employed, applications in the Philippine residential community are not widely practiced. In this paper, nine PVDF piezoelectric films were connected in parallel, which produced a maximum output of 16.5mW in controlled environment testing and 16.6mW in uncontrolled environment testing at a wind speed of 2.3m/s. To be able to make use of the harvested energy, three solar films were combined in the system to produce a hybrid energy harvester implemented into a 3D-printed artificial plant. Combining the piezoelectric and solar energy systems produced a constant 3.6V output in the terminals and a maximum of 150mW. This hybrid plant-shaped energy harvester provides a significant contribution to the development of an economical and reliable renewable energy that can be an additional source for typical small family residential house, streetlights, vehicles, or other loads exposed in wind and sunlight; and in utilizing the applications of the PVDF piezoelectric and solar film.