  This study presents a novel piezoelectric beam structure for acoustic energy
harvesting. The beams have been designed to maximize output energy in areas
where the noise level is loud such as highway traffic. The beam consists of two
layers of copper and polyvinylidene fluoride that convert the ambient noise's
vibration energy to electrical energy. The piezoelectric material's optimum
placement has been studied, and its best position is obtained on the substrate
for the maximum yield. Unlike previous studies, in which the entire beam
substrate used to be covered by a material, this study presents a modest
material usage and contributes to lowering the harvester's final production
cost. Additionally, in this study, an electrical model was developed for the
sensor and a read-out circuitry was proposed for the converter. Moreover, the
sensor was validated at different noise levels at various lengths and
locations. The simulations were performed in COMSOL Multiphysics and MATLAB and
report a maximum sound pressure of 140 dB from 100 dB point sources in an
enclosed air-filled cubic meter chamber.
