Ferroelectric nanogenerators coupled to an electric circuit for energy harvesting

The direct transformation of ambient mechanical energy into electricity using ferroelectric nanogenerators is discussed within the context of usability for self-sustaining microelectronics. Thus, it is essential to store the generated electric energy within an accumulator or capacitor. However, the contact and charge status of the electric storage medium strongly influences the performance of the generator. This necessitates coupling of the generator and the electric circuit to determine working points. Therefore, a phase field model for the ferroelectric generator is coupled with the response of a standard full-wave rectifier and a capacitor. Nonlinear diode characteristics as well as energy losses are under consideration. The amount and the type of connections for the nanogenerators in the harvesting field are discussed to bridge from the nanoscale to electrical quantities for microelectronics.