Overview
This section discusses the proof of concept of a Self-Created Piezoelectric Tile, implemented by Suchir Kalra.
Background
Piezoelectric Tiles are made according to customized sizes and forms of piezoelectric material and tend to have a larger surface area than commonly available piezoelectric sensors. Due to their varied surface areas, piezoelectric tiles can produce anywhere between 0.0084 Watts (PZT ceramic) tiles to 10 W per step (Waynergy Floor Sustainable Energy Floor). Due to their customized sizes and higher density of piezoelectric materials in a tile, these tiles cost anywhere between US $36.1 (the PZT Tile) to $451 (the Waynergy Floor).
In this proof of concept, an economical piezoelectric tile is attempted to be designed using simple piezoelectric sensors. With 98 Piezoelectric Sensors, the total cost of the piezoelectric sensors is around Indian Rs. 950 to Rs. 1000, which is around US$11-$12. This shows that the cost could be potentially far lower than the basic Piezoelectric Tile PZT Tile.
Materials used
98 Simple Piezoelectric Sensors
12 V LED Strip
Thin Low Voltage Wires
Jumper Wire Allegator Clips 2 PCs (~0.5 meters)
Soldering Iron Kit (with Soldering wire)
Wire Stripper
2 Pcs Flexible Board (Here, a movie poster board has been reused)
Steps involved
Step 1 - Arranging the piezo on a relatively flexible board (Piezo tends to work better on a bent surface due to pressure difference created across curved surfaces)
Step 2: Connect the Piezos in a parallel manner.
Step 3: Connect an LED Strip to the piezo board.
Since the above steps didn't work out as expected (explanation provided in the Challenges section), the following additional steps were performed:
Step 4: Disconnect the last line of the circuit and divide the circuit into an upper and lower part. Let the last line be the lower part.
Step 5: Connect the lower part to the LED Strip.
Step 6: Evaluate and see if the LED Strip lights up. (The LED Strip should light up now).
The following additional steps can also be performed:
Step 7: Repetitively tap the piezoelectric board/tile at various locations.
Step 8: Check the Voltage on various piezoelectric sensors using a multimeter.
Step 9: Use another board to cover the piezoelectric tile, repetitively hit the piezoelectric sensors, and analyze the voltage now.
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