Research on Impedance Characterization of Triple-Layer Piezoelectric Bender

The use of piezoelectric material as transducer is prevalent. Piezoelectric bending mode element can be used for vibration energy harvesting because it can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. In this article, electrical impedance characterization and equivalent circuit of triple-layer piezoelectric bender are discussed. Triple-layer piezoelectric bending device is fabricated, measured and modeled. This paper is aimed to explore simple but practical equivalent circuit models, expressed using electrical parameters of triple-layer piezoelectric bender and investigate the applicability of the Van Dyke circuit model and the complex circuit model in modeling the specimen’s equivalent circuit. The models produced impedance curves that closely matched the impedance measured for piezoelectric sample. The impedance characterization can provide a good understanding on the electrical behaviors of the triple layer piezoelectric bender when analyzing the performance of piezoelectric device.