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Advances in Piezoelectric Sensors, Transducers and Harvesters

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A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "A：Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 28916

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Dr. Lin Zhang

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Guest Editor

Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
Interests: smart materials/devices; conducting polymers/composites; piezoelectric sensors/transducers/harvesters; biomedical ultrasound; wearable electronics
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Dr. Chunlong Fei

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Guest Editor

School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an 710071, China
Interests: piezoelectric devices; ultrasonic transducers; acoustic metamaterials; acoustic tweezers
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Dr. Yang Yang

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Guest Editor

Department of Mechanical Engineering, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
Interests: bioinspired 3D printing; additive manufacturing; micro- and nano-fabrication; multifunctional composites; energy harvesting and wearable sensors; surface/interface structures
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Dr. Jianguo Ma

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Guest Editor

School of Instrumentation and Optoelectronic Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
Interests: piezoelectric ultrasound transducers; multi-frequency ultrasound transducers; optical ultrasound sensing; biomedical ultrasound imaging and therapy; quantitative ultrasound for intelligent diagnosis
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Dr. Zeyu Chen

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Guest Editor

College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Central South University, No.605 South Lushan Road, Changsha 410083, China
Interests: photoacoustic imaging; dermatology; molecular probe; drug delivery system; immunotherapy
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent advances in materials science, mechanical engineering, and electronic technology enable the realization of high-performance piezoelectric devices and systems in a variety of formats for a wide range of applications such as healthcare monitoring, non-destructive testing, energy harvesting, medical sensing, and imaging. Applied piezoelectric materials include bulk ceramics, thin films, single crystals, polymers, and composites, among others. Different types of piezoelectric materials are used in various devices, including transducers, sensors, actuators, and harvesters. The development of piezoelectric materials and devices necessitates the collaboration of researchers from various disciplines to examine their designs, modeling, structures, fabrications, characterization, integration, dependability, and applications. Electromechanical application innovations continue to be the driving force behind the development of new piezoelectric materials and devices. In this Special Issue, the current state of this exciting research field will be presented, covering a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:

New piezoelectric materials: ceramics, thin film, single crystals, polymers, composites, 2-D materials, etc.;
Piezoelectric devices: sensors, actuators, transducers, energy harvesters, nanogenerators, piezotronics, flexible/stretchable devices, integrated systems;
Piezoelectric device fabrication: design, modeling, simulation, manufacturing, 3D printing, characterization, packaging, system integration;
Piezoelectric applications: non-destructive testing, acoustic arrays and holograms, metamaterials, energy harvesting, medical imaging, soft robotics, wearable sensors, biomedical and healthcare applications.

Dr. Lin Zhang
Dr. Chunlong Fei
Dr. Yang Yang
Dr. Jianguo Ma
Dr. Zeyu Chen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Keywords

piezoelectric sensors
piezoelectric actuators
piezoelectric transducers
piezoelectric energy harvesting
nanogenerators
acoustic devices
ultrasound imaging
flexible electronics
biosensing
micro- and nano-manufacturing
additive manufacturing
NDT and structure health monitoring
smart systems

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Advances in Piezoelectric Sensors, Transducers and Harvesters, 2nd Edition in Micromachines (4 articles)

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Research

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14 pages, 4375 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Output Performance of a Novel Symmetrical T-Shaped Trapezoidal Micro Piezoelectric Energy Harvester Using a PZT-5H

by Wenda Xu, Hongrui Ao, Nannan Zhou, Zenghao Song and Hongyuan Jiang

Micromachines 2022, 13(2), 282; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13020282 - 10 Feb 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1773

Abstract

In recent years, low-power wireless sensors with high flexibility, portability and computing capability have been extensively applied in areas such as military, medicine and mechanical equipment condition monitoring. In this paper, a novel symmetrical T-shaped trapezoidal micro piezoelectric energy harvester (STTM-PEH) is proposed to supply energy for wireless sensors monitoring the vibrations of mechanical equipment. Firstly, the finite element model (FEM) of the STTM-PEH is established. Secondly, the modal analysis of the T-shaped trapezoidal piezoelectric cantilever beam is carried out by finite element software and its vibration modes are obtained. Additionally, the structural characteristics of the STTM-PEH and the composition of piezoelectric patches are described. Furthermore, the effects of resistance, acceleration coefficient, substrate materials and structural parameters of the output performance of the STTM-PEH are researched. The results indicate that the output power of the STTM-PEH rises first and then falls with a change in resistance, while the output voltage does not increase as resistance increases to a certain extent. Meanwhile, selecting copper as the piezoelectric material of the T-shaped trapezoidal piezoelectric cantilever beam can generate a higher energy output. Finally, how the structural parameters, including piezoelectric patch thickness, substrate thickness and cantilever head length, affect the output performance of the STTM-PEH is studied, which illustrates that the load range of the STTM-PEH can be appropriately broadened by adjusting the length of the cantilever beam head. This research is valuable for designing a novel high performance piezoelectric energy harvester. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Piezoelectric Sensors, Transducers and Harvesters)

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16 pages, 8861 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Direction of Arrival Estimation Based on Self-Contained MEMS Vector Hydrophone

by Shan Zhu, Guojun Zhang, Daiyue Wu, Xiaoqi Liang, Yifan Zhang, Ting Lv, Yan Liu, Peng Chen and Wendong Zhang

Micromachines 2022, 13(2), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13020236 - 30 Jan 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2895

Abstract

A self-contained MEMS vector hydrophone with a scalar–vector integrated design is proposed in this paper. Compared with traditional MEMS vector hydrophones, this design solves the problem of ambiguity in the port and starboard during orientation, and also realizes the self-contained storage of acoustic signals. First, the sensor principle and structural design of the self-contained MEMS hydrophone are introduced, and then the principle of the combined beamforming algorithm is given. In addition to this, the amplitude and phase calibration method based on the self-contained MEMS vector hydrophone is proposed. Then, the sensitivity and phase calibrations of the sensor are carried out in the standing wave tube. The sensitivity of the vector channel is −182.7 dB (0 dB@1 V/

μ

Pa) and the sensitivity of the scalar channel is −181.8 dB (0 dB@1 V/

μ

Pa). Finally, an outdoor water experiment was carried out. The experimental results show that the self-contained MEMS vector hydrophone can accurately pick up and record underwater acoustics information. It realizes the precise orientation of the target by combining beamforming algorithms. The direction of arrival (DOA) error is within 5° under the outdoor experimental conditions with an SNR of 13.67 dB. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Piezoelectric Sensors, Transducers and Harvesters)

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14 pages, 3189 KiB

Open AccessArticle

FEM Simulation of a High-Performance 128°Y–X LiNbO₃/SiO₂/Si Functional Substrate for Surface Acoustic Wave Gyroscopes

by Rui Ma, Weiguo Liu, Xueping Sun, Shun Zhou and Dabin Lin

Micromachines 2022, 13(2), 202; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13020202 - 27 Jan 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3051

Abstract

To obtain a high-performance surface acoustic wave (SAW) gyroscope substrate, the propagation characteristics and gyroscopic effect of Rayleigh waves in a 128°Y–X LiNbO₃/SiO₂/Si (LNOI) functional substrate were investigated with a three-dimensional finite element method. The influence of LNOI structural parameters on Rayleigh wave characteristics, including the phase velocity (v_p), electromechanical coupling coefficient (K²) and temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF), were analyzed. The results demonstrate that the SiO₂ layer compensates for the negative TCF of 128°Y–X LiNbO₃ and enhances the K² of the LNOI substrate. The Rayleigh wave velocity change of the LNOI substrate after rotations in different directions was studied. The gyroscope gain factor (η) represents the strength of the gyroscopic effect in the differential traveling wave SAW gyroscope and is defined. The η_y and η_z of the LNOI substrate with different structural parameters were investigated. Finally, an LNOI substrate with an h_LN/λ of 0.2 and an h_SiO2/λ of 0.05 was obtained by balancing the characteristic parameters, with a K² of 3.96%, TCF of −18.75 ppm/°C and η_y of 0.26. The LNOI substrate has a better gyroscopic effect and temperature stability than the 128°Y–X LiNbO₃ crystal. The LNOI substrate meets device miniaturization and integration needs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Piezoelectric Sensors, Transducers and Harvesters)

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16 pages, 6244 KiB

Open AccessArticle

New Flexible Tactile Sensor Based on Electrical Impedance Tomography

by Haibin Wu, Bingying Zheng, Haomiao Wang and Jinhua Ye

Micromachines 2022, 13(2), 185; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13020185 - 26 Jan 2022

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3251

Abstract

In order to obtain external information and ensure the security of human–computer interaction, a double sensitive layer structured tactile sensor was proposed in this paper. Based on the EIT (Electrical Impedance Tomography) method, the sensor converts the information from external collisions or contact into local conductivity changes, and realizes the detection of one or more contact points. These changes can be processed into an image containing positional and force information. The experiments were conducted on the actual sensor sample. The OpenCV toolkit was used to process the positional information of contact points. The distributional regularities of errors in positional detection were analyzed, and the accuracy of the positional detection was evaluated. The effectiveness, sensitivity, and contact area of the force detection were analyzed based on the result of the EIT calculations. Furthermore, multi-object tests of pressure were conducted. The results of the experiment indicated that the proposed sensor performed well in detecting the position and force of contact. It is suitable for human–robot interaction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Piezoelectric Sensors, Transducers and Harvesters)

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10 pages, 2299 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Single-Beam Acoustic Tweezer Prepared by Lead-Free KNN-Based Textured Ceramics

by Yi Quan, Chunlong Fei, Wei Ren, Lingyan Wang, Jinyan Zhao, Jian Zhuang, Tianlong Zhao, Zhaoxi Li, Chenxi Zheng, Xinhao Sun, Kun Zheng, Zhe Wang, Matthew Xinhu Ren, Gang Niu, Nan Zhang, Tomoaki Karaki, Zhishui Jiang and Li Wen

Micromachines 2022, 13(2), 175; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13020175 - 25 Jan 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2959

Abstract

Acoustic tweezers for microparticle non-contact manipulation have attracted attention in the biomedical engineering field. The key components of acoustic tweezers are piezoelectric materials, which convert electrical energy to mechanical energy. The most widely used piezoelectric materials are lead-based materials. Because of the requirement of environmental protection, lead-free piezoelectric materials have been widely researched in past years. In our previous work, textured lead-free (K, Na)NbO₃ (KNN)-based piezoelectric ceramics with high piezoelectric performance were prepared. In addition, the acoustic impedance of the KNN-based ceramics is lower than that of lead-based materials. The low acoustic impedance could improve the transmission efficiency of the mechanical energy between acoustic tweezers and water. In this work, acoustic tweezers were prepared to fill the gap between lead-free piezoelectric materials research and applications. The tweezers achieved 13 MHz center frequency and 89% −6 dB bandwidth. The −6 dB lateral and axial resolution of the tweezers were 195 μm and 114 μm, respectively. Furthermore, the map of acoustic pressure measurement and acoustic radiation calculation for the tweezers supported the trapping behavior for 100 μm diameter polystyrene microspheres. Moreover, the trapping and manipulation of the microspheres was achieved. These results suggest that the KNN-based acoustic tweezers have a great potential for further applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Piezoelectric Sensors, Transducers and Harvesters)

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11 pages, 2338 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation, Structure, and Electrical Properties of Cobalt-Modified Bi(Sc_3/4In_1/4)O₃–PbTiO₃–Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ High-Temperature Piezoelectric Ceramics

by Zhijiang Chen, Na Lin, Zhao Yang, Juan Zhang, Kefei Shi, Xinhao Sun, Bo Gao and Tianlong Zhao

Micromachines 2021, 12(12), 1556; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12121556 - 13 Dec 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2382

Abstract

Cobalt-modified 0.40Bi(Sc_3/4In_1/4)O₃–0.58PbTiO₃–0.02Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ ceramics (abbreviated as BSI–PT–PMN–xCo) were produced by conventional two-step solid-state processing. The phase structure, micro structure morphology, and electrical properties of BSI–PT–PMN–xCo were systematically studied. The introduction of Co ions exerted a significant influence on the structure and electrical properties. The experiment results demonstrated that Co ions entered the B-sites of the lattice, resulting in slight lattice distortion and a smaller lattice constant. The average grain size increased from ~1.94 μm to ~2.68 μm with the increasing Co content. The optimized comprehensive electrical properties were obtained with proper Co-modified content 0.2 wt.%. The Curie temperature (T_c) was 412 °C, the piezoelectric constant (d₃₃) was 370 pC/N, the remnant polarization (P_r) was 29.2 μC/cm², the relatively dielectric constant (ε_r) was 1450, the planar electromechanical coupling coefficient (k_p) was 46.5, and the dielectric loss (tanδ) was 0.051. Together with the enhanced DC resistivity of 10⁹ Ω cm under 300 °C and good thermal stability, BSI–PT–PMN–0.2Co ceramic is a promising candidate material for high-temperature piezoelectric applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Piezoelectric Sensors, Transducers and Harvesters)

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12 pages, 3793 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evolvable Acoustic Field Generated by a Transducer with 3D-Printed Fresnel Lens

by Danfeng Wang, Pengfei Lin, Zeyu Chen, Chunlong Fei, Zhihai Qiu, Qiang Chen, Xinhao Sun, Yan Wu and Lei Sun

Micromachines 2021, 12(11), 1315; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12111315 - 26 Oct 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2546

Abstract

Evolvable acoustic fields are considered an effective method for solving technical problems related to fields such as biological imaging, particle manipulation, drug therapy and intervention. However, because of technical difficulties and the limited technology available for realizing flexible adjustments of sound fields, few studies have reported on this aspect in recent years. Herein, we propose a novel solution, using a Fresnel lens-focused ultrasonic transducer for generating excited-signal-dependent acoustic pressure patterns. Finite element analysis (FEA) is used to predict the performance of a transducer with a Fresnel lens. The Fresnel lens is printed using 3D additive manufacturing. Normalized intensity maps of the acoustic pressure fields are characterized from the Fresnel lens-focused transducer under various numbers of excited-signal cycles. The results demonstrate that under different cycle excitations, a temporal evolution acoustic intensity can be generated and regulated by an ultrasound transducer with a 3D Fresnel lens. This acoustical pattern control method is not only simple to realize but also has considerable application prospects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Piezoelectric Sensors, Transducers and Harvesters)

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12 pages, 7181 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hysteresis Compensation for a Piezoelectric Actuator of Active Helicopter Rotor Using Compound Control

by Jinlong Zhou, Linghua Dong and Weidong Yang

Micromachines 2021, 12(11), 1298; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12111298 - 22 Oct 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2241

Abstract

Active rotor with trailing-edge flaps is a promising method to alleviate vibrations and noise level of helicopters. Hysteresis of the piezoelectric actuators used to drive the flaps can degrade the performance of an active rotor. In this study, bench-top tests are conducted to measure the nonlinear hysteresis of a double-acting piezoelectric actuator. Based on the experimental data, a rate-dependent hysteresis model is established by combining a Bouc–Wen model and a transfer function of a second order system. Good agreement is exhibited between the model outputs and the measured results for different frequencies. A compound control regime composed of a feedforward compensator and PID (Proportional–Integral–Derivative) feedback control is developed to suppress the hysteresis of this actuator. Bench-top test results demonstrate that this compound control regime is capable to suppress hysteresis at different frequencies from 10 Hz to 60 Hz, and errors between the desired actuator outputs and the measured outputs are reduced dramatically at different frequencies, revealing that this compound control regime has the potential to be implemented in an active helicopter rotor to suppress actuator hysteresis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Piezoelectric Sensors, Transducers and Harvesters)

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14 pages, 3599 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Compact Linear Ultrasonic Motor Composed by Double Flexural Vibrator

by Jiayin Li, Yin Wang, Ziyan Chen, Fang Cheng and Qing Yu

Micromachines 2021, 12(8), 958; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12080958 - 13 Aug 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1957

Abstract

A minimized linear ultrasonic motor was proposed, and two flexural bimorph vibrators were utilized to form its stator. The construction of the linear ultrasonic motor and its operation principle was introduced. Two working modes with the same local deformation distribution were chosen on the basis of Finite Element Analysis (FEA). To obtain its optimized structural parameters, sensitivities on frequency difference were calculated, and a way of decreasing the frequency difference of two working modes was introduced. A prototype of the optimized model was made. The modal testing of the stator and its performance evaluation was conducted. The modal testing results were in good agreement with that of the simulation. The maximum speed of the prototype is 245 mm/s, and its maximum thrust is 1.6 N. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Piezoelectric Sensors, Transducers and Harvesters)

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Review

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24 pages, 8313 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Advances on Conducting Polymers Based Nanogenerators for Energy Harvesting

by Weichi Zhang, Liwen You, Xiao Meng, Bozhi Wang and Dabin Lin

Micromachines 2021, 12(11), 1308; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12111308 - 25 Oct 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4100

Abstract

With the rapid growth of numerous portable electronics, it is critical to develop high-performance, lightweight, and environmentally sustainable energy generation and power supply systems. The flexible nanogenerators, including piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENG) and triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG), are currently viable candidates for combination with personal devices and wireless sensors to achieve sustained energy for long-term working circumstances due to their great mechanical qualities, superior environmental adaptability, and outstanding energy-harvesting performance. Conductive materials for electrode as the critical component in nanogenerators, have been intensively investigated to optimize their performance and avoid high-cost and time-consuming manufacture processing. Recently, because of their low cost, large-scale production, simple synthesis procedures, and controlled electrical conductivity, conducting polymers (CPs) have been utilized in a wide range of scientific domains. CPs have also become increasingly significant in nanogenerators. In this review, we summarize the recent advances on CP-based PENG and TENG for biomechanical energy harvesting. A thorough overview of recent advancements and development of CP-based nanogenerators with various configurations are presented and prospects of scientific and technological challenges from performance to potential applications are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Piezoelectric Sensors, Transducers and Harvesters)

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