A state-of-the-art review of car suspension-based piezoelectric energy harvesting systems

One of the most important techniques for energy harvesting is the clean energy collection from the ambient vibration. Piezoelectric energy harvesting systems became a hot topic in the literature and attracted most researchers. The reason behind this attraction is that piezoelectric materials are a simple structure and provide a higher power density among other mechanisms (electromagnetic and electrostatic). The aim of this manuscript is to succinctly review and present the state of the art of different existing vibrational applications utilizing piezoelectric energy harvesting technique. Meanwhile, the main concentration is harvesting energy from a vehicle suspension system. There is a significant amount of dissipated energy from the suspension dampers that is worthy of being harvested. Different mathematical car models with their experimental setup are presented, discussed, and compared. The piezoelectric material can be mounted in different locations such as suspension springs, dampers, and tires. The technique of implementing the harvester and the amount of power harvested from each location are analyzed. The evaluation of the electrical harvesting circuits and different storage devices for the harvested power are also discussed. The paper will also shed light on the variety of potential applications of the harvested energy.