Review of piezoelectric energy harvesting system and application of optimization techniques to enhance the performance of the harvesting system

The energy harvesting (EH) from unused natural waste energy sources is common nowadays because of rising power demand. The sources have the potential of producing micro to milliwatts power depending on the ambient conditions. Many researchers have been concentrating on micro-level energy harvesting to provide power to the micro-devices in a remote area. The concept leads to a drastic reduction in cost. Once the structure is established, it can generate electricity with minimal cost or effort like renewable sources. This paper reviews the two key areas of the piezoelectric energy harvesting system (PEHS), namely, mechanical and electronic approaches, developed by several researchers. From the thorough review, it is realized that the existing technologies more or less can capable to EH by using the piezoelectric elements; however, the consistency and stability of the systems are not up to the mark yet. In this study, vibration-based PEHS has been considered for the application of the optimization technique to enhance its performance. This review has been focused on numerous challenges and recommendations for next-generation EH by utilizing vibration-based piezoelectric elements.