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The cantilever beam serves as a prominent choice for harnessing strain-based energy through piezoelectric materials. Ongoing research is focused on enhancing the output power density from cantilever energy harvesters. Most of the prior investigations have predominantly employed fully coated cantilever beams. However, due to the high cost associated with piezoelectric materials, it becomes necessary to explore the impact of altering the base beam’s length while keeping the piezoelectric material's length constant. This investigation aims to ascertain the potential for increasing the output power density using the same length of piezoelectric material. In this study, a comprehensive analysis was conducted, maintaining uniform thickness and width for both the base beam and piezoelectric material. The positioning of the piezoelectric material on the base beam was selected to maximize power output for a specific configuration. Recognizing that the power output of a cantilever energy harvester is dependent upon the resonant frequency and optimal electrical load, this study also presents an analysis of these factors. It is found that an increase in the length of the base beam causes a corresponding rise in output power. Particularly, tripling the length of the base beam yields a sevenfold increase in output power density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaic (PV) panels are in use for over a century to generate electricity using sunlight as a source of energy. One of the latest adaptations of PV panels is the thin-film flexible photovoltaic panel which is becoming popular due to its lightweight, low cost and convenience of being installed on various surfaces where conventional panels are not feasible. The unique feature of this panel is its flexibility and the ability to be bent in various shapes. This study aims to numerically investigate whether the change of shape has any effect on the cooling of flexible Photovoltaic (FPV) panels under the climatic condition of Khulna, Bangladesh. In this regard, finite volume based commercial software package is used to solve the mass, momentum and energy equations. The panel is bent in a curved shape and is compared with the regular (flat) panel. A cooling channel is introduced below the panel. Air and water are used as the cooling medium. Mean temperature of the PV panel, heat transfer coefficient and Wall shear stress are examined. It is found from the results that the shape of the FPV has considerable effect when air cooling is performed. For the same Reynolds number, FPV temperature for the curved plate is 1-3K lower than the flat one during air flow. However, natural air flow through the cooling channel can not keep the FPV temperature low and therefore water cooling is necessary especially in the months October-May when the PV panel temperature is excessive. For air, FPV temeperature can reach upto 434K whereas water keeps the temperature around 300K even at low Reynolds number and regular shape. For water, shape does not offer any significant additional cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]