Vibration Energy Harvesting from Raindrops Impacts: Experimental Tests and Interpretative Models

The kinetic energy of raindrops is a large and renewable source that nowadays can be exploited by means piezoelectric harvesters. This study focuses on new cantilever harvester uses the impact drop liquid surface created in order to improve conversion from electric energy. Experimental tests, carried out both outdoors indoors, were performed assess validity proposed design. voltage obtained with was about four times larger than one dry surface. phenomena lead increased performance analyzed experimentally, high-speed camera, analytically, mathematical model. camera footage showed clear relationship between waveform generated various phases (crown formation, crown collapse, sloshing). model developed herein, which based oscillation mass caused linear momentum equation, simple used estimate measured within good approximation.