The effects of damage accumulation in optimizing a piezoelectric energy harvester configuration

Bimorph piezoelectric elements are often used to harvest energy for low-power structural health monitoring systems. When these piezoelectric elements are deployed for extended periods of time and operate under near-resonant conditions, the resulting high amplitude cycling can lead to degradation of the piezoelectric element, resulting in a shift in the design fundamental frequency. For scenarios in which the piezoelectric harvester is subject to...