Pyroelectric Energy Harvesting: Model and Experiments

Abstract

Efficient pyroelectric energy conversion would enable portable, wireless power generation capabilities for the Army. This technology relies on the pyroelectric effect in ceramic materials, where the dielectric polarization has a strong temperature dependence. In order to evaluate pyroelectric systems, one must precisely measure and control electric field and temperature while evaluating alternating pyroelectric currents. This technical report describes the modeling, assembly, and performance of a custom pyroelectric energy conversion testing system. This system is used to evaluate a lead zirconate titanate thin film pyroelectric capacitor as an energy conversion system. The conversion cycle and future outlook are presented.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 2016
Accession Number
AD1008683

Entities

People

  • Brendan Hanrahan
  • Felisa Sze

Organizations

  • United States Army Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Acquisition
  • Brayton Cycles
  • Ceramic Materials
  • Climate Change
  • Coefficients
  • Current Amplifiers
  • Data Acquisition
  • Energy
  • Energy Harvesting
  • Frequency
  • Heat Energy
  • Measurement
  • Phase Transformations
  • Resistance
  • Simulations
  • Voltage Amplifiers

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Software Engineering.