Finite Element Simulation of Single Zinc Oxide Nanorod for Piezoelectric Nanogenerator

The growing demand for sustainable and clean energy sources has motivated the development of wearable energy harvesters for portable and wearable electronic devices. However, the use of bulky and hazardous batteries poses challenges in terms of size, flexibility, and environmental impact. This paper addresses these challenges by presenting a 3D finite element simulation of single Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanorod that has potential application as a wearable energy harvester. The effect of varying the aspect ratio (diameter/length) of ZnO nanorods toward the generated output voltage was investigated. The relationship between the variation of applied force to the output voltage and displacement of the vibration was also presented. The analysis results revealed that increasing the aspect ratio of the single ZnO nanorod led to higher generated output voltages. Similarly, applying higher forces resulted in increased voltage output. The optimum design of the single ZnO nanorod that has the highest output voltage is D=30nm L=9000nm force=500nN. The simulation results also demonstrated that the length and diameter of the nanorods influenced the generated piezoelectric potential.