Piezoelectric harvesters have been the object of constant research due to the increasing need for smart and independent sensors. The main contribution of the present work to this field is the development of a new approach: to harness the vibrational energy from tilting pad journal bearings using...

Piezoelectric harvesters have been the object of constant research due to the increasing need for smart and independent sensors. The main contribution of the present work to this field is the development of a new approach: to harness the vibrational energy from tilting pad journal bearings using piezoelectric harvesters and use it to power typical condition monitoring sensors. The goal of this work is to verify if it is possible to assemble the harvester on the bearing without impairing its dynamic behavior and to ascertain that the energy harvested is enough to power the condition monitoring sensor. In order to achieve it, the electric and mechanical harvester models were developed and coupled with the bearing model using the full coefficients approach. It was possible to verify that the harvester may produce up to 2.25 mW of energy, enough to power a typical wireless sensor without impairing the bearing's stability. These results indicate that it is possible to develop an independent smart bearing for rotating machines, fully capable of monitoring itself without an external power source

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