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Optimal Switched-Capacitor Network for Synchronized Multiple Bias-Flip Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Circuit

  • Jiacong Qiu,   
  • Le Cheng,   
  • Junrui Liang (ASME Fellow) *

Received: 04 Sep 2026 | Revised: 22 Sep 2026 | Accepted: 30 Sep 2026 | Published: 10 Oct 2026

Abstract

Synchronized multiple bias-flip (SMBF) techniques improve power harvesting capability for piezoelectric energy harvesting (PEH), yet generating optimal multi-level bias voltages with minimal passive components remains challenging. This paper proposes an optimal reconfigurable switched-capacitor network for SMBF interfaces. By reconfiguring and reusing flying capacitors, up to 27 successive bias-flip actions (S27BF) are realized using only five capacitors. Owing to the symmetric bias-flip operations, the flying capacitors can maintain their bias voltages without auxiliary power sources. A discrete printed circuit board (PCB) prototype validates the design. Experimental results show that the S27BF circuit yields 3.89-fold peak harvested power compared with the standard full-bridge rectifier benchmark, even with a low-quality-factor inductor. Practical limitations including piezoelectric dielectric loss and diode voltage drop are also discussed. This work provides further physical insight into PEH research and offers a feasible hardware solution for high-order SMBF implementations.

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Qiu, J.; Cheng, L.; Liang (ASME Fellow), J. Optimal Switched-Capacitor Network for Synchronized Multiple Bias-Flip Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Circuit. Power Electronics Research and Applications Transactions 2026. https://doi.org/10.53941/perat.2026.100013.
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