Simulation of a Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting System for Automotive Sensors
Hajar NAFID
Abstract. The increasing number of embedded sensors within vehicles needs solutions of autonomous power supply that are reliable and compact. The energy harvesting using piezo electricity represents great alternative capable to convert mechanical deformations present in the wheels, car seats, or other vibrant elements caused by electric energy. This work proposes an experimental simple model that simulate this phenomenon using an Arduino Uno, a force sensor, a capacitor for energy storage. The originality of this research resides in the usage of force sensor as an equivalent of the mechanical material of the piezoelectric, offering a research basis to investigate the relationship between Force and Voltage. The methodology consists to record through data resulted from the simulation, the voltage generated for different forces applied on the force sensor. The data collected show a clear correlation, 0.10 N generated 35.4mV, however; with a greater force of 10 N this force generated nearly 790 mV. The result showed a linear increase of voltage with respect to the applied force. The capacitor ensures a progressive charging, which is confirming the ability of the system to usable energy for components such as automotive car sensors with low power consumption.
Keywords
Energy Harvesting, Piezoelectricity, Automotive systems, Embedded Sensors, Arduino Uno, Force Sensor (FSR), Capacitive Storage, Generated Voltage, Low Power Energy, Mechanical Electrical Conversion, TPMS Sensors, Autonomous Systems, PZT/ PVDF Materials, Automotive IoT
Published online 4/25/2026, 8 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Hajar NAFID, Simulation of a Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting System for Automotive Sensors, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 64, pp 187-194, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904091-23
The article was published as article 23 of the book Energy Futures
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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