Beatrice Lang
Pressure is converted into electrical energy in a variety of ways. One method involves using a Pressure to Electric Converter (PEC) device, which captures the energy expended as pressure on a surface and converts it into an electric charge. For example, in a plate-based system, pressure is converted into rotational force by a generator, producing an electrical current. Another technique employs wind turbines, where changes in atmospheric pressure generate wind, which drives the turbines to produce electricity. Piezoelectric materials can also convert pressure changes into electrical energy, as seen in the piezoelectric effect, where pressure creates an electromechanical interaction between the crystal's electric and mechanical states. Furthermore, pressure differences in air can be utilized to generate electricity, as seen in the windmill technology. Water pressure can be used to pressurize gases for energy storage, and temperature differences in water at various depths can also generate electricity.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Method | Plate-based system |
| Hose implementation | |
| Piezoelectric materials | |
| Piezoelectric generators | |
| Mechanical generators | |
| Gas-filled bladder | |
| Depressable plate | |
| Depressable hose | |
| Rotational force | |
| Electrical charge | |
| Electrical energy |
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What You'll Learn
Piezoelectricity
The word "piezoelectricity" originates from the Greek word "piezein", which means to squeeze or press. The term "piezo" can be traced back to ancient Greek, relating to actions of pushing, squeezing, and pressing. Piezoelectricity is the process of using crystals to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy or vice versa.
When mechanical pressure is applied to a piezoelectric crystal, its structure deforms, causing atoms to shift. This creates a crystal that conducts an electrical current. The crystal will expand and contract if an electric current is applied to it, converting electrical energy into mechanical energy. This is known as the direct piezoelectric effect.
The most well-known piezoelectric material is the quartz crystal, which is used in many everyday electronic devices, such as quartz watches, speakers, and microphones. Other naturally occurring piezoelectric materials include cane sugar, Rochelle salt, topaz, tourmaline, and even bone.
Piezoelectric technology has been further developed with man-made materials such as piezoelectric ceramics, which have expanded the applications of piezoelectricity in electronic devices.
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Electrostriction
Pressure is converted into electrical energy through the use of a pressure-to-electric converter (PEC). This device captures the intermittent energy expended as pressure on a surface and converts it into an electric charge.
One example of a PEC is a mechanical floor plate with depressable track-mounted plates. These plates have small barrel electrical generators attached to the bottom, which are geared to turn downward step pressure into rotational energy for the generators.
Another example of a PEC is a gas bladder that converts pressure on a flexible gas-filled bladder into rotational energy.
Now, onto electrostriction. Electrostriction is a property of all electrical non-conductors or dielectrics. It causes these materials to change their shape under the application of an electric field. This change in shape is due to the displacement of ions in the crystal lattice when exposed to an external electric field.
The positive ions will move in the direction of the field, while the negative ions will move in the opposite direction. This displacement will result in an overall strain or elongation in the direction of the field, with a reduction in thickness in the orthogonal directions.
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Magnetostriction
Pressure is converted into electrical energy through a pressure-to-electric converter (PEC) system. This system captures the intermittent energy expended as pressure on a surface and converts it into an electric charge.
One of the materials used in the construction of these converters is magnetostrictive materials. Magnetostriction is the ability of a material to experience mechanical strain when subjected to a magnetic field. Ferromagnetic materials can convert magnetic energy into kinetic energy and vice versa. The property can be quantified by the magnetostrictive coefficient, λ, which is defined as the fractional change in length as the magnetization of the material increases from zero to the saturation value.
The phenomenon of magnetostriction was first observed by Joule on an iron bar. This deformation of a magnetic material at a fixed temperature by technical magnetization processes involving a rotation of spontaneous magnetization is called Joule magnetostriction. The earliest magnetostriction theories were based on a model proposed by R. Becker and W. Döring in 1939, with the most complete and quantum-mechanical theory of magnetostriction developed by E.R. Callen and B. Callen.
Magnetostrictive materials are used in the construction of actuators and sensors. Terfenol-D is the most commonly used engineering magnetostrictive material, exhibiting about 2,000 microstrains in a field of 160 kA/m at room temperature. Other magnetostrictive materials include cobalt, nickel, and various alloys.
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Pressure to Electric Converter (PEC)
Pressure is a fundamental physical quantity that measures the force exerted on a given surface. The commonly used units of pressure are the pascal (Pa), the standard atmosphere (atm), the bar, the millimetre of mercury (mmHg), and the psi.
The Pressure to Electric Converter (PEC) is a device that captures the intermittent energy expended as pressure on a surface and converts it into an electric charge. The primary objective of this device is to scavenge the energy of movement, which is normally expended into the supporting surface, such as the ground, the floor, or a roadway. This energy can be generated by animals walking or vehicles moving over a surface.
The PEC is designed to be used in various instances to capture or scavenge the energy of the targeted process. The capture method involves inserting a PEC device between the source of intermittent pressure and a rigid surface. The pressure generated by steps or vehicle movement is converted into electrical energy through piezoelectric materials, compressible gas/fluid-filled bladders, hoses, or mechanical conversion of downward pressure into rotation.
Piezoelectric materials can replace mechanical generators in the PTEC (Pressure to Electric Conversion) system. This system utilises the properties of piezoelectric materials to generate an electrical charge directly from pressure. The Excess Pressure Distribution Base (EPDB) is another component used in plate-based systems to distribute unconverted pressure to the underlying support structure, usually made of rigid load-bearing materials.
The PEC has a modular design that considers efficiency, durability, ease of assembly, and ergonomic factors such as step comfort and trip minimisation. It can be implemented as a fixed, portable, or attachable system. For example, as flooring or a roadway surface, where it can capture energy from vehicular traffic, pedestrian traffic, or animal herding. The converted energy can be used directly or stored in a battery system for future use.
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Piezo electric effect
The piezoelectric effect is a phenomenon that results in the conversion of mechanical pressure into an electric charge. The word "piezoelectricity" comes from the Greek word "piezein", meaning "to press", and "ēlektron", meaning "amber" (an ancient source of static electricity).
The effect was first discovered in 1880 by French physicists Jacques and Pierre Curie, who combined their knowledge of pyroelectricity with their understanding of crystal structures. They demonstrated the effect using crystals of tourmaline, quartz, topaz, cane sugar, and Rochelle salt, with the latter two exhibiting the most piezoelectricity.
The piezoelectric effect occurs when certain materials, such as crystals, ceramics, polymers, and biological matter, are subjected to mechanical deformation or stress produced by an external force. This deformation causes a shift in the positive and negative charge centers within the material, resulting in an external electric field and the appearance of measurable electric potential differences at electrodes attached to the crystal.
The piezoelectric effect is a reversible process, with materials exhibiting the effect also showing the reverse piezoelectric effect, where an applied electric field causes internal mechanical strain and physical deformation in the material.
The piezoelectric effect has been exploited in various applications, including the production and detection of sound, piezoelectric inkjet printing, generation of high-voltage electricity, clock generators in electronic devices, and everyday uses such as igniting gas cooking devices and cigarette lighters. It is also used in pressure to electric converter (PEC) devices to convert intermittent pressure into electrical energy.
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Frequently asked questions
A PEC is a device that captures the energy of movement that is normally expended onto the ground or another surface and converts it into an electric charge.
A PEC can take many forms, but the simplest to describe is a mechanical floor plate. This consists of depressible track-mounted plates with small barrel electrical generators attached to the bottom. The pressure is converted into rotational force, which generates an electrical current or charge.
Wind turbines, which generate electricity from the wind, are an example of pressure being converted into electrical energy. Piezo-electric generators can also generate electrical energy from pressure changes.
