Piezoelectric energy harvester system with composite shim

A piezoelectric energy harvester comprising:

• a composite shim having a parallelepiped form with a thickness dimension made smaller than a width dimension and a length dimension, and having a stiffness shifting from one extremity to another extremity to minimize mechanical constraints developed at a clamping area;
• a seismic mass mounted at an end opposite to the clamping area to mechanically match the system to surrounding vibration resonance;
• one or more piezoelectric layers laminated on the composite shim;
• electrodes plated onto the one or more piezoelectric layers for connection to an electronic harvesting circuit, a battery, or a super capacitor;
• and
• pillars embedded in the composite shim, each of the pillars having a triangular cross-section that varies in size depending on its location in the composite shim.

A piezoelectric energy harvester system comprising:

• a composite shim having a parallelepiped form with a thickness dimension made smaller than a width dimension and a length dimension, and having a stiffness shifting from one extremity to another extremity to minimize mechanical constraints developed at a clamping area;
• a seismic mass mounted at an end opposite to the clamping area to mechanically match the system to surrounding vibration resonance;
• one or more piezoelectric layers laminated on the composite shim;
• electrodes plated onto the one or more piezoelectric layers for connection to an electronic harvesting circuit, a battery, or a super capacitor;
• and
• walls embedded in the composite shim, each of the walls arranged parallel to an axis in the thickness dimension and forming an angle with an axis in the width dimension and an axis in the length dimension, each of the walls having a width that varies in size based on its location in the composite shim.

A piezoelectric energy harvester system comprising:

• a composite shim having a circular or ovoid form with a thickness dimension made smaller than major and minor dimensions, and having a stiffness shifting from one extremity to another extremity to minimize mechanical constraints developed at a clamping area;
• a seismic mass mounted at a center of gravity of the composite shim to mechanically match the system to surrounding vibration resonance;
• one or more piezoelectric layers laminated on the composite shim;
• electrodes plated onto the one or more piezoelectric layers for connection to an electronic harvesting circuit, a battery, or a super capacitor;
• and
• pillars embedded in the composite shim, each of the pillars having a shape that varies in size based on its location in the composite shim.

A piezoelectric energy harvester system comprising:

• a composite shim having a parallelepiped form with a thickness dimension made several orders of magnitude smaller than width and length dimensions, including two ends and clamping areas at each of the two ends, and having a stiffness shifting from each of the clamping areas to a maximum amplitude displacement area to minimize mechanical constraints developed at the clamping areas;
• a seismic mass mounted at a center of the composite shim to mechanically match the system to surrounding vibration resonance;
• one or more piezoelectric layers laminated on the composite shim;
• electrodes plated onto the one or more piezoelectric layers for connection to an electronic harvesting circuit, a battery, or a super capacitor;
• and
• pillars embedded in the composite shim, each of the pillars having a shape that varies in size based on its location in the composite shim.