A power generation unit includes a deforming member (a beam) adapted to deform while switching a deformation direction, a first piezoelectric device provided to the deforming member (the beam), a second piezoelectric device provided to the deforming member (the beam), an inductor electrically connected to the first piezoelectric device, a switch disposed between the first piezoelectric device and the inductor, and a control section adapted to detect a voltage generated in the second piezoelectric device, and if the voltage detected has a level one of equal to and higher than a predetermined level, electrically connect the first piezoelectric device and the inductor to each other using the switch.

A power generator including: a vibration system configured to be attached to a vibrating member; and a power generating element attached to the vibration system. The vibration system is a multiple-degree-of-freedom vibration system that includes a first vibration system having a first mass member elastically supported by a first spring member, and a second vibration system having a second mass member elastically connected to the first mass member by a second spring member. The power generating element is arranged between the first and second mass members, and vibration applied from the vibrating member causes relative displacement of the first and second mass members so that vibration energy of the vibrating member is input to the power generating element. A natural frequency of the first vibration system is different from that of the second vibration system.

A bi-stable micro-electrical mechanical system (MEMS) heat harvester is provided. A bi-stable MEMS cantilever located between a hot temperature surface and a cold temperature surface, and is made up of a first MEMS material layer, having a first coefficient of thermal expansion. A second MEMS material layer is in contact with the first MEMS material layer, and has a second coefficient of thermal expansion less than the first coefficient of thermal expansion. A tensioner, made from a material having a tensile stress greater than the stress of the first or second MEMS materials, is connected to the cantilever. The heat harvester also includes a mechanical-to-electrical power converter, which may be a piezoelectric device or an electret device. The bi-stable MEMS cantilever may include a thermal expander having a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than the second coefficient of thermal expansion. The thermal expander is connected to the tensioner.

A vibration power generator includes a vibration system attached to a vibrating member. The vibration system includes a first vibration subsystem, and a second vibration subsystem attached to the first vibration subsystem. The first vibration subsystem includes an elastic member attached to the vibrating member, and a first mass member attached to the elastic member. The second vibration subsystem includes a plate spring integral with a piezoelectric element, and a second mass member attached to the plate spring. The first vibration subsystem has a resonant frequency that is substantially equal to a resonant frequency of the second vibration subsystem.

The present invention relates to an energy harvester device comprising an elongate resonator beam comprising a piezoelectric material, the resonator beam extending between first and second ends; a base connected to the resonator beam at the first end with the second end being freely extending from the base as a cantilever; a mass attached to the second end of the resonator beam; a package surrounding at least a portion of the second end of the resonator beam; and a compliant stopper connected to the package, where the stopper is configured to stabilize motion of the cantilever to prevent breakage. Also disclosed is a system, a method of powering an electrically powered apparatus, and methods of producing an energy harvester device.

An expedient piezoelectric coupled buoy energy harvester from ocean waves is developed. The harvester is made of several piezoelectric coupled cantilevers attached to a floating buoy structure, which can be easily suspended in the intermediate and deep ocean for energy harvesting. In the buoy structure, a slender cylindrical floater is attached on a large sinker. The energy harvesting process is realized by converting the transverse ocean wave energy to the electrical energy via the piezoelectric patches mounted on the cantilevers fixed on the buoy. A smart design of the buoy structure is developed to increase the energy harvesting efficiency by investigation of the effects of the sizes of the floater and the sinker. A numerical model is presented to calculate the generated electric power from buoy energy harvester. The research findings show that up to 22 W electric power can be generated by the proposed expedient buoy harvester with the length of the piezoelectric cantilevers of 1 m and the total length of the buoy of 12 m. The technique proposed in this research can provide an expedient, feasible and stable energy supply from the floating buoy structure.

A piezoelectric capacitor includes A) a composite article that has 1) a dry piezoelectric layer (dry PL); 2) a first dry electrode comprising a dry electrically-conductive layer arranged contiguously with a first opposing surface of the dry PL; and 3) a second dry electrode arranged contiguously with a second opposing surface of the dry PL. The dry electrically-conductive layer has essentially (a) an electrically-conductive material; and (b) particles having a Young's modulus that is different from the Young's modulus of the (a) electrically-conductive material by at least 10%. The capacitor also has B) electrical communication means attached to both electrodes for electrical communication of the composite article with an external electrical circuit.

An energy harvesting cantilever formed from multiple curved sections, with each curved section wrapped within the prior curved section but in an opposing direction, is the proposed solution to the problems described above. Such an energy harvesting cantilever favors bending over torsion, can be manufactured at a small scale, and will generate useful electrical energy with low frequency inputs.

Bulk acoustic wave filters and/or bulk acoustic resonators integrated with CMOS devices, methods of manufacture and design structure are provided. The method includes forming a single crystalline beam from a silicon layer on an insulator. The method further includes providing a coating of insulator material over the single crystalline beam. The method further includes forming a via through the insulator material exposing a wafer underlying the insulator. The insulator material remains over the single crystalline beam. The method further includes providing a sacrificial material in the via and over the insulator material. The method further includes providing a lid on the sacrificial material. The method further includes venting, through the lid, the sacrificial material and a portion of the wafer under the single crystalline beam to form an upper cavity above the single crystalline beam and a lower cavity in the wafer, below the single crystalline beam.

Systems and methods are disclosed that describe a MEMS device and a method of sensing based on a consensus algorithm. The MEMS device is a sensor comprising multiple piezoelectric layers attached to a microcantilever. It can be used to sense deflections or variations in corresponding parameters of systems in micro- and nano-scales. Multiple piezoelectric elements on a microcantilever can provide a more accurate measurement of the microcantilever's deflection. The device can eliminate bulky laser sensors in SPMs and provide additional use as a biosensor, or chemical sensor at the micro- and nano-scale. The consensus sensing algorithm can provide added robustness into the system. If one of the sensing elements or electrodes fails during a sensing process, other elements can compensate and allow for near zero-error measurement.