{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,23]],"date-time":"2026-01-23T17:25:57Z","timestamp":1769189157219,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,26]],"date-time":"2023-01-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1674691200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Southern Cross University, Australia"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In recent years, harvesting energy from ubiquitous ultralow-frequency vibration sources, such as biomechanical motions using piezoelectric materials to power wearable devices and wireless sensors (e.g., personalized assistive tools for monitoring human locomotion and physiological signals), has drawn considerable interest from the renewable energy research community. Conventional linear piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) generally consist of a cantilever beam with a piezoelectric patch and a proof mass, and they are often inefficient in such practical applications due to their narrow operating bandwidth and low voltage generation. Multimodal harvesters with multiple resonances appear to be a viable solution, but most of the previously proposed designs are unsuitable for ultralow-frequency vibration. This study investigated a novel multimode design, which included a bent branched beam harvester (BBBH) to enhance PEHs\u2019 bandwidth output voltage and output power for ultralow-frequency applications. The study was conducted using finite element method (FEM) analysis to optimize the geometrical design of the BBBH on the basis of the targeted frequency spectrum of human motion. The selected design was then experimentally studied using a mechanical shaker and human motion as excitation sources. The performance was also compared to the previously proposed V-shaped bent beam harvester (VBH) and conventional cantilever beam harvester (CBH) designs. The results prove that the proposed BBBH could harness considerably higher output voltages and power with lower idle time. Its operating bandwidth was also remarkably widened as it achieved three close resonances in the ultralow-frequency range. It was concluded that the proposed BBBH outperformed the conventional counterparts when used to harvest energy from ultralow-frequency sources, such as human motion.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s23031372","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,27]],"date-time":"2023-01-27T01:27:58Z","timestamp":1674782878000},"page":"1372","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Enhancing the Bandwidth and Energy Production of Piezoelectric Energy Harvester Using Novel Multimode Bent Branched Beam Design for Human Motion Application"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"23","author":[{"given":"Iresha Erangani","family":"Piyarathna","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Military Road, East Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia"}]},{"given":"Yee Yan","family":"Lim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sri Emas International School, Shah Alam, Selangor 40000, Malaysia"}]},{"given":"Mahesh","family":"Edla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Research and Development, MYRA Corporate, UAG Bionutrients, Alstonville Industrial Area, Alstonville, NSW 2477, Australia"}]},{"given":"Ahmed Mostafa","family":"Thabet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fortescue Future Industries Pty Ltd., 160 Lakes Rd, Hazelmere, WA 6055, Australia"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8528-7490","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mustafa","family":"Ucgul","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Military Road, East Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1811-858X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Charles","family":"Lemckert","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Military Road, East Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111973","DOI":"10.1016\/j.enconman.2019.111973","article-title":"A review on design improvements and techniques for mechanical energy harvesting using piezoelectric and electromagnetic schemes","volume":"199","author":"Maamer","year":"2019","journal-title":"Energy Convers. Manag."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Erturk, A., and Inman, D.J. (2011). Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting, John Wiley & Sons.","DOI":"10.1002\/9781119991151"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"015024","DOI":"10.1088\/1361-665X\/aa9b01","article-title":"An experimentally validated model for geometrically nonlinear plucking-based frequency up-conversion in energy harvesting","volume":"27","author":"Kathpalia","year":"2017","journal-title":"Smart Mater. Struct."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"642","DOI":"10.1016\/j.joule.2018.03.011","article-title":"High-performance piezoelectric energy harvesters and their applications","volume":"2","author":"Yang","year":"2018","journal-title":"Joule"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"116604","DOI":"10.1016\/j.energy.2019.116604","article-title":"Introducing revolute joints into piezoelectric energy harvesters","volume":"192","author":"Li","year":"2020","journal-title":"Energy"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"58","DOI":"10.1016\/j.apenergy.2019.04.153","article-title":"A curved panel energy harvester for aeroelastic vibration","volume":"249","author":"Shan","year":"2019","journal-title":"Appl. Energy"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"260","DOI":"10.1016\/j.enconman.2017.05.073","article-title":"Introducing arc-shaped piezoelectric elements into energy harvesters","volume":"148","author":"Yang","year":"2017","journal-title":"Energy Convers. Manag."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114615","DOI":"10.1016\/j.apenergy.2020.114615","article-title":"Tunable, multi-modal, and multi-directional vibration energy harvester based on three-dimensional architected metastructures","volume":"264","author":"Sun","year":"2020","journal-title":"Appl. Energy"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Edla, M., Lim, Y.Y., Deguchi, M., and Padilla, R.V. (2021, January 21\u201330). A Novel Discontinuous Mode Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Circuit for Low-Voltage Applications. Proceedings of the 2021 31st Australasian Universities Power Engineering Conference (AUPEC), Perth, Australia.","DOI":"10.1109\/AUPEC52110.2021.9597733"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"377","DOI":"10.1016\/j.aej.2022.08.008","article-title":"Modeling of the vibration and stability of a dynamical system coupled with an energy harvesting device","volume":"63","author":"Abohamer","year":"2023","journal-title":"Alex. Eng. J."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Abohamer, M.K., Awrejcewicz, J., Starosta, R., Amer, T.S., and Bek, M.A. (2021). Influence of the motion of a spring pendulum on energy-harvesting devices. Appl. Sci., 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/app11188658"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"075037","DOI":"10.1088\/1361-665X\/ac04c3","article-title":"Piezoelectric metastructures for simultaneous broadband energy harvesting and vibration suppression of traveling waves","volume":"30","author":"Lin","year":"2021","journal-title":"Smart Mater. Struct."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109500","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ymssp.2022.109500","article-title":"Mass tuning technique for a broadband piezoelectric energy harvester array","volume":"181","author":"Kouritem","year":"2022","journal-title":"Mech. Syst. Signal Process."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.1016\/j.apenergy.2018.02.086","article-title":"Scavenging energy from ultra-low frequency mechanical excitations through a bi-directional hybrid energy harvester","volume":"216","author":"Fan","year":"2018","journal-title":"Appl. Energy"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"821","DOI":"10.1007\/s40684-019-00144-y","article-title":"A review of human-powered energy harvesting for smart electronics: Recent progress and challenges","volume":"6","author":"Khalid","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Precis. Eng. Manuf.-Green Technol."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Izadgoshasb, I., Lim, Y.Y., Vasquez Padilla, R., Sedighi, M., and Novak, J.P. (2019). Performance enhancement of a multiresonant piezoelectric energy harvester for low frequency vibrations. Energies, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/en12142770"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"357","DOI":"10.1177\/1045389X12457254","article-title":"A novel two-degrees-of-freedom piezoelectric energy harvester","volume":"24","author":"Wu","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Intell. Mater. Syst. Struct."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3912","DOI":"10.1007\/s11664-014-3398-5","article-title":"A branched beam-based vibration energy harvester","volume":"43","author":"Zhang","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Electron. Mater."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"04018070","DOI":"10.1061\/(ASCE)AS.1943-5525.0000899","article-title":"Trident-shaped multimodal piezoelectric energy harvester","volume":"31","author":"Upadrashta","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Aerosp. Eng."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7082724","DOI":"10.1155\/2018\/7082724","article-title":"Modeling and experiment of a v-shaped piezoelectric energy harvester","volume":"2018","author":"Zhao","year":"2018","journal-title":"Shock. Vib."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"529","DOI":"10.1177\/1045389X08098096","article-title":"Modeling of piezoelectric energy harvesting from an L-shaped beam-mass structure with an application to UAVs","volume":"20","author":"Erturk","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Intell. Mater. Syst. Struct."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Su, W.-J., and Zu, J.W. (2012, January 9\u201315). Modeling of V-shaped beam-mass piezoelectric energy harvester: Impact of the angle between the beams. Proceedings of the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Houston, TX, USA.","DOI":"10.1115\/IMECE2012-86587"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112458","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sna.2020.112458","article-title":"Modeling and design of V-shaped piezoelectric vibration energy harvester with stopper for low-frequency broadband and shock excitation","volume":"317","author":"Jiang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sens. Actuators A Phys."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"613","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ymssp.2019.02.003","article-title":"Analytical modeling and validation of multi-mode piezoelectric energy harvester","volume":"124","author":"Li","year":"2019","journal-title":"Mech. Syst. Signal Process."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"66","DOI":"10.1016\/j.enconman.2018.01.076","article-title":"Optimizing orientation of piezoelectric cantilever beam for harvesting energy from human walking","volume":"161","author":"Izadgoshasb","year":"2018","journal-title":"Energy Convers. Manag."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"559","DOI":"10.1016\/j.enconman.2019.02.001","article-title":"Improving efficiency of piezoelectric based energy harvesting from human motions using double pendulum system","volume":"184","author":"Izadgoshasb","year":"2019","journal-title":"Energy Convers. Manag."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"868","DOI":"10.1109\/TIE.2009.2030761","article-title":"Improving power density of a cantilever piezoelectric power harvester through a curved L-shaped proof mass","volume":"57","author":"Li","year":"2009","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Ind. Electron."},{"key":"ref_28","unstructured":"Camilloni, E., DeMaso-Gentile, G., Scavongelli, C., Orcioni, S., and Conti, M. (2016). Mobile Networks for Biometric Data Analysis, Springer."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105020","DOI":"10.1088\/0964-1726\/22\/10\/105020","article-title":"Modeling and experimental investigation of an impact-driven piezoelectric energy harvester from human motion","volume":"22","author":"Wei","year":"2013","journal-title":"Smart Mater. Struct."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"115011","DOI":"10.1088\/0964-1726\/19\/11\/115011","article-title":"Harvested power and sensitivity analysis of vibrating shoe-mounted piezoelectric cantilevers","volume":"19","author":"Moro","year":"2010","journal-title":"Smart Mater. Struct."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Southgate, D., Childs, P., and Bull, A. (2016). Sports Innovation, Technology and Research, World Scientific.","DOI":"10.1142\/q0012"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"143902","DOI":"10.1063\/1.4979832","article-title":"Scavenging energy from human walking through a shoe-mounted piezoelectric harvester","volume":"110","author":"Fan","year":"2017","journal-title":"Appl. Phys. Lett."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nastro, A., Pienazza, N., Ba\u00f9, M., Aceti, P., Rouvala, M., Ardito, R., Ferrari, M., Corigliano, A., and Ferrari, V. (2022). Wearable Ball-Impact Piezoelectric Multi-Converters for Low-Frequency Energy Harvesting from Human Motion. Sensors, 22.","DOI":"10.3390\/s22030772"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6521","DOI":"10.1016\/j.egyr.2022.04.077","article-title":"A multi-folded-beam piezoelectric energy harvester for wideband energy harvesting under ultra-low harmonic acceleration","volume":"8","author":"Wang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Energy Rep."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1082","DOI":"10.1109\/TCSI.2012.2215395","article-title":"A wireless condition monitoring system powered by a sub-100\/spl mu\/W vibration energy harvester","volume":"60","author":"Jang","year":"2012","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst. I Regul. Pap."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zhang, F., Zhang, Y., Silver, J., Shakhsheer, Y., Nagaraju, M., Klinefelter, A., Pandey, J., Boley, J., Carlson, E., and Shrivastava, A. (2012, January 19\u201323). A batteryless 19\u03bcW MICS\/ISM-band energy harvesting body area sensor node SoC. Proceedings of the 2012 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, San Francisco, CA, USA.","DOI":"10.1109\/ISSCC.2012.6177004"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Edla, M., Lim, Y.Y., Vasquez Padilla, R., and Deguchi, M. (2021). An Improved Rectifier Circuit for Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting from Human Motion. Appl. Sci., 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/app11052008"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1050","DOI":"10.1109\/JEDS.2020.3025554","article-title":"An improved self-Powered H-bridge circuit for voltage rectification of piezoelectric energy harvesting system","volume":"8","author":"Edla","year":"2020","journal-title":"IEEE J. Electron Devices Soc."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"045021","DOI":"10.1088\/1361-665X\/ac58d3","article-title":"Self-powered boost-converter for power optimisation and piezo garden lights","volume":"31","author":"Edla","year":"2022","journal-title":"Smart Mater. Struct."}],"container-title":["Sensors"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/23\/3\/1372\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T18:15:57Z","timestamp":1760120157000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/23\/3\/1372"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,26]]},"references-count":39,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,2]]}},"alternative-id":["s23031372"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/s23031372","relation":{},"ISSN":["1424-8220"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1424-8220","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,26]]}}}