Abstract

A significant amount of mechanical and thermal energy is lost when typing on a laptop keyboard. To address this, hybrid energy harvesters must increase the generated power density and mitigate energy fluctuation issues. This paper explores the potential enhancement of energy harvesting by combining thermoelectric and piezoelectric effects within a multilayered structure integrated into a laptop keyboard button. Through numerical simulation, the study assesses how these two behaviors can synergistically increase the power density generated by the hybrid device. The focus is on optimizing energy efficiency by harnessing the heat losses from integrated circuits and the mechanical stresses due to the act of typing. The point is to refine the design of such a system to maximize the conversion of ambient energy into electricity. The findings indicate that the hybrid structure combining both piezoelectric and thermoelectric effects, effectively captures energy from a laptop keyboard, producing a substantial amount of electricity. This investigation shows that the generator can produce up to 2.07 mW of power using PU-40%PZT as piezoelectric material and an additional 71.93 μW through the PEDOT: PSS as thermoelectric material from a single keystroke when pressed and heated. This study underscores the potential for improving energy-harvesting efficiency in laptop keyboards, contributing to more sustainable and energy-efficient electronic devices.

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