Modelling and validation of electret-based vibration energy harvesters in view of charge migration

Abstract

One of the key problems of electret-based vibration energy harvester (eVEH) modelling is that the surface voltage itself cannot precisely reveal the charge storage characteristics of the electret fabricated by different processes. In this paper, we endeavor to interpret the charge migration mechanism of the eVEH with electrets fabricated by different processes. Based on the above analysis, a unified analytical model of the eVEH is derived accordingly. The dynamic response and voltage output predicted by this model are verified numerically by the equivalent circuit simulation and experimentally with an out-of-plane eVEH prototype. According to the analysis, the maximum power output is approximately 255 μW when the prototype works at its resonance frequency and the vibration amplitude is 1 mm. This paper elucidates the working principle of the eVEH and provides a framework for further theoretical study of eVEHs from the first principle.