Wanna Start a assignment on converting Vibrational energy to Electrical energy

[vstrtz]

hey guys!!
i wanna start a new project in my college with my friends...
we have thought of something like converting vibrational energy to electrical energy with the help of peizoelectric crystal!!!
plz can anybody point us to direction as where to start practically.. we have theoratical knowledge!!
THX!!!

[berkeman]

hey guys!!
i wanna start a new project in my college with my friends...
we have thought of something like converting vibrational energy to electrical energy with the help of peizoelectric crystal!!!
plz can anybody point us to direction as where to start practically.. we have theoratical knowledge!!
THX!!!

Welcome to the PF. (As an aside note, please avoid using slang like "wanna" and "plz" -- it doesn't belong in a technical forum like the PF. Thanks)

Here is a background paper on piezo film:

http://www.media.mit.edu/resenv/classes/MAS836/Readings/MSI-techman.pdf

and a wikipedia.org article on piezoelectric sensors:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezoelectric_sensor

You might also consider having the vibrations move a magnet in the vicinity of a coil -- that is another way to convert mechanical energy to electrical current.

[vk6kro]

There is a type of gas flame lighter that uses a piezo crystal to produce a spark. Maybe you could get the crystal out of one of those.
There isn't much energy available from piezo crystals though.


Power has to come from somewhere, though, so as soon as you try to remove it from a vibrating system, the vibration will stop or at least be damped.

Interesting techniques are used in producing electricity from wave motion.
Maybe you could research those.