Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric energy harvesting from rotary retracting mechanism: Imitating forearm motion

This paper developed an effective energy harvesting device prototype design that make use of PVDF to convert kinetic energy from human kinetic movement (specifically in forearm) to electrical energy, ideally in real time. The energy harvesting device prototype consists of rotary retracting generator which imitating the forearm motion. Therein, by means of research in theoretically and experimentally study of energy harvesting are conducted and observed during inward and outward of forearm motions by using the rotary retracting mechanism. The design of PDVF film being attached to forearm are reviewed and LTC3588-2 chip were used to obtained DC power output result from the working energy harvesting device prototype. The harvested energy accumulated through power management circuit which were integrated in LTC3588-2 chip and increase during every cycle of rotating generator. One cycle would generated about 0.010V. After 6 minutes of operating the piezoelectric energy harvesting system, the system had accumulated 0.488V.