Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop, Predeal, Romania, 24-27 May, 1999

Discovered in 1880, piezoelectric materials play a key role in an innovative market of several billions of dollars. Recent advances in applications derive from new materials and their development, as well as to new market requirements. With the exception of quartz, ferroelectric materials are used for they offer both high efficiency and sufficient versatility to meet adequately the multidimensional requirements for application. Consequently, strong emphasis is placed on tailoring materials and technology, whether one deals with single crystals, ceramics or plastic materials. Tailoring requires a basic understanding of both physical principles and technical possibilities and limitations. This report elucidates these developments by a broad spectrum of examples, comprising ultrasound in medicine and defence industry, frequency control, signal processing by SAW-devices, sensors, actuators, including novel valves for modern motor management. It delivers a mutual fertilization of technology push and market pull that should be of interest not only to materials scientists or engineers but also to managers who dedicate themselves to a sound future-oriented R&D policy.

The transformation of vibrations into electric energy through the use of piezoelectric devices is an exciting and rapidly developing area of research with a widening range of applications constantly materialising. With Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting, world-leading researchers provide a timely and comprehensive coverage of the electromechanical modelling and applications of piezoelectric energy harvesters. They present principal modelling approaches, synthesizing fundamental material related to mechanical, aerospace, civil, electrical and materials engineering disciplines for vibration-based energy harvesting using piezoelectric transduction. Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting provides the first comprehensive treatment of distributed-parameter electromechanical modelling for piezoelectric energy harvesting with extensive case studies including experimental validations, and is the first book to address modelling of various forms of excitation in piezoelectric energy harvesting, ranging from airflow excitation to moving loads, thus ensuring its relevance to engineers in fields as disparate as aerospace engineering and civil engineering. Coverage includes: Analytical and approximate analytical distributed-parameter electromechanical models with illustrative theoretical case studies as well as extensive experimental validations Several problems of piezoelectric energy harvesting ranging from simple harmonic excitation to random vibrations Details of introducing and modelling piezoelectric coupling for various problems Modelling and exploiting nonlinear dynamics for performance enhancement, supported with experimental verifications Applications ranging from moving load excitation of slender bridges to airflow excitation of aeroelastic sections A review of standard nonlinear energy harvesting circuits with modelling aspects.

Advanced Piezoelectric Materials: Science and Technology, Second Edition, provides revised, expanded, and updated content suitable for those researching piezoelectric materials or using them to develop new devices in areas such as microelectronics, optical, sound, structural, and biomedical engineering. Three new chapters cover multilayer technologies with base-metal internal electrodes, templated grain growth preparation techniques for manufacturing piezoelectric single crystals, and piezoelectric MEMS technologies. Chapters from the first edition have been revised in order to provide up-to-date, comprehensive coverage of developments in the field. Part One covers the structure and properties of a range of piezoelectric materials. Part Two details advanced manufacturing processes for particular materials and device types, including three new chapters. Finally, Part Three covers materials development for three key applications of piezoelectric materials. Dr. Kenji Uchino is a pioneer in piezoelectric actuators, Professor of Electrical Engineering at Penn State University, and Director of the International Center for Actuators and Transducers. He has authored 550 papers, 54 books and 26 patents in the ceramic actuator area. - Features an overview of manufacturing methods for a wide range of piezoelectric materials - Provides revised, expanded, and updated coverage compared to the first edition, including three new chapters - Suitable for those researching piezoelectric materials or using them to develop new devices in areas such as microelectronics, optical, sound, structural, and biomedical engineering

This book explains the state-of-the-art green piezoelectric energy harvesting (PEH) technology. It highlights different aspects of PEH, starting right from the materials, their synthesis, and characterization techniques to applications. Various types of materials, including ceramics, polymers, composites, and bio-inspired compounds in nano, micro, and meso scale and their recent advancements are captured in detail with special focus on lead-free systems. Different challenges and issues faced while designing a PEH are also included. Features: Guides on how to harvest piezoelectric energy in a sustainable manner. Describes related figures of merit for piezoelectric energy harvesting. Covers synthesis of piezoelectric materials in the form of bulk, single crystal, nano, and thin/thick film. Includes pertinent advanced characterization techniques. Reviews piezo-energy harvesting devices and structures. This book is aimed at researchers, professionals, and graduate students in electrical engineering, materials, and energy.