Producing Power from Human Steps Using a Piezoelectric-Integrated Prototype
Keywords:
nonconventional, piezoelectricity, energy harvesting, ambient energy scavenging, electricityAbstract
INTRODUCTION
There are numerous sources at hand in terms of acquiring energy. However, conventional resources usually leave a huge environmental impact. It is in the hopes to find a cheap and nonconventional energy source that the researchers in this study aimed to create and test a piezoelectric-integrated prototype which harvests readily available energy from the environment.
METHODS
Certain methods were employed in this study. Necessary materials were acquired from respective sources. The prototype, after being assembled and characterized, was tested stationarily under different frequencies of simulated human steps: the highest frequency being 2 steps per second and the lowest frequency being 1 step per 2 seconds. Using Randomized Complete Block Design, the resulting power was then processed and analyzed using F-test via Statistical Package for Social Sciences.
RESULTS
Three tables with different frequencies of steps were used as the experimental setup. The results showed the highest mean of 13.37 mW and the lowest mean of 9.67 mW from the highest and lowest frequency of steps, respectively, which may be due to less energy exerted by the subject onto the prototype during the slow pacing in the first experimental table or human error. In addition, the statistical analysis showed that the study is very significant: the significance level of 0.00 being less than 0.05 and the calculated F value, 51.69, being greater than the critical F value, 3.89. Thus, the different frequency of steps has a significant effect on the power that the piezoelectric-integrated insole prototype can produce.
DISCUSSIONS
The results showed that the frequency of steps has a significant effect on the power output of the prototype and, consequently, the functional model can evidently produce power. Due to its fragile nature, it is suggested to change the piezoelectric material. Furthermore, it is suggested to explore the application of the mechanism of the prototype and investigate the charging rate of the battery since it was not dealt with this study.
