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Research Summary:
Power consumption will create long-term technical challenges for the
semiconductor industry because
miniaturization of power supplies alone will not meet the needs for lifetime,
robustness and scale of new devices. Also, threateningly high emission
levels, global warming and burgeoning costs of carbon based fuel have
compelled initiatives towards cleaner, economical energy production
strategy. Energy harvesting offers many of the needed elements for
micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and meso scaled devices, though
technology advancements are needed, particularly in materials development, to
realize working devices.
The aim of this research
is twofold: the development of mathematical models to describe the
electromechanical behavior of relaxor-type ferroelectric materials; and
implementation of these smart materials into hybrid power systems, via
the development of algorithms for the design of hybrid piezoelectric energy
harvesting systems. Hybrid power generation, i.e. the use of two or
more different power supply methods can, if done effectively, improve the
lifetime (sustainability) and efficiency of single-source power supply
systems. Furthermore, incorporation of regenerative power devices such
as piezoelectric materials with other forms of power production methods like
batteries and fossil fuel combustion, can lead to reduction of emissions,
toxicity, mass and volume of the both MEMS and meso-scaled power systems.
This work focuses on the
following:
- development of constitutive relationships
for nonlinear piezoelectric materials
- expansion of conventional laminate theory
to include piezoelectric composite materials
- development of expressions relating cyclic
lifetime of piezoelectric material subjected to various loading
conditions
- development of scalability limitations for
piezoelectric materials for meso scaled devices
- creation of algorithms for design of hybrid
piezoelectric energy systems.
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