Ultra-Compact Power Harvesting for Self-Powered Aircraft Sensors

KCF Technologies will combine our experience in single-crystal piezoelectric devices and vibration power harvesting to develop ultra-compact vibration power harvesting devices to enable self-powered sensors on aircraft systems. Single-crystal piezoelectric materials enable this technology to meet the challenging weight requirement and power output needs of aircraft applications. Specifically, the high piezoelectric coupling coefficient and elastic compliance enable order-of-magnitude improvements in device power density. This proposed technology builds upon KCF’s leadership in vibration power harvesting for industrial and shipboard wireless sensors. The compactness and high power output, directly enabled by single-crystal ferroelectrics, are demanded for aircraft components where weight reductions are critical and high-vibration components are readily available. This device will enable three stages of new and advanced sensors on aircraft; the first stage is self-powered retrofit sensors for condition monitoring. In Phase I, KCF will design and fabricate an ultra-compact vibration power harvester using single-crystal piezoelectric material and demonstrate it powering a miniature autonomous sensor in a simulated aircraft vibration environment. In Phase II, KCF will join with our partners Eaton Aerospace and RLW, Inc. for a system demonstration of self-powered aircraft sensors.