Theory of piezoelectric materials and their applications in civil engineering

Abstract

The goal of this thesis is to explore ways of harvesting energy from a building. To be more specific, the conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy using piezoelectric materials is studied. Applications of piezoelectric materials as actuators are also explored, with particular interest in the question: what is the maximum moment that an actuator, whose energy comes from piezoelectricity, can develop when attached to a beam. As a piezoelectric material cannot generate much energy, and often requires amplification, the goal is to optimize the circuit linked to the piezoelectric material to obtain as much power as possible.