Piezoelectric Energy

Perpetual Energy From Vibrations

Other Technologies

Technology

Piezoelectric crystals generate electricity when mechanical vibrations occur at various frequencies. However torsional (rotational) vibrations produce no electricity as the left and right sides of the crystal are flexed in opposite directions, creating a net zero voltage.

Our technology describes a modified structure, electrically isolating left and right sides of the crystal so that the generated voltages can be summed rather than cancelled - thereby providing the ability to harvest bending and torsional movement which in turn creates 100x more power than similar devices.

Market Outlook

Piezoelectricity is a fascinating and fast growing sector - essentially creating electricity at no cost, from stress, strain and vibrations.

With a combined predicted market size equating to over $20 billion, piezoelectric devices have a vast range of applications, ranging from nano and micro energy generation in medical instruments, portable devices and within vehicles to power sensors, to larger scale macro energy generation such as the harvesting of pedestrian traffic to power localised sign or street lighting. Piezoelectricity may conceivably allow phones to never run out of charge because they could harvest the energy from movements. Similarly, street lights may be powered through the vibrations caused by pedestrian walking and cars moving.

Piezoelectric devices are not only excellent energy generators, but work extremely well in reverse, working as nano or micro actuators. Traditionally this market has been occupied by magnetic motors, however significant progression has been made in the market and technology - allowing piezoelectric actuators to take over as they offer numerous benefits in terms of size, speed, reliability, vacuum compatibility, resolution, dynamics and no magnetic field. Piezoelectric actuators have been commercialised in IT, robotics, biomedical engineering, industrial manufacturing and energy engineering.

Key Points

Our unique structure offers a number of significant benefits

Power Increase

- It has shown to offer a one-hundred fold increase in the amount of power output

- More efficient mechanical to electrical transduction

Numerous Applications

- It can function in reverse as a nano or micro actuator, offering numerous benefits over traditional magnetic motor actuators, allowing a number of separate routes to market.

- Can be used for the harvesting of human movement to power devices such as chargers and wearables

Universally adaptable

- The geometry can be universally implemented into other established designs and piezoelectric devices allowing their design to perform much more efficiently creating a more commercially viable product

Always find yourself with low battery?

We are launching a new product in 2019 utilising our technology to harvest day-to-day movement to charge your device!

Co-funded by Innovate UK and Invented by Swansea University