Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026): Volume 1, Issue 1 (2026)
Energy Harvesting from Road Pavement Vibrations: Piezoelectric and Thermoelectric Approaches
Aduot Madit Anhiem ORCID 0009-0003-7755-1011
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19249519
Published: March 27, 2026
Abstract
The global imperative for sustainable energy solutions has renewed interest in ambient energy harvesting from civil infrastructure. Road pavement systems, which continuously receive mechanical energy from vehicular loading and thermal energy from solar irradiation, represent an abundant and largely untapped energy reservoir. This paper presents a rigorous comparative study of two principal pavement energy harvesting technologies — piezoelectric transduction and thermoelectric generation (TEG) — evaluating their theoretical performance limits, practical implementation constraints, and quantified energy yield under tropical and sub-Saharan African road conditions. The analytical framework develops the governing piezoelectric constitutive equations for embedded transducer arrays under dynamic axle loading, and the Seebeck-effect thermoelectric model for pavement-embedded gradient generators. Finite element simulations of pavement vibration spectra under a standardised tropical traffic loading profile yield piezoelectric power densities of 2.1 to 13.5 kWh/m²/year depending on traffic volume and road class. TEG modelling using measured pavement temperature gradients recorded at tropical noon (ΔT = 28°C) across material types including Bi₂Te₃ and skutterudite composites predicts thermoelectric yields of 1.0 to 3.4 kWh/m²/year, with bridge decks exhibiting the highest thermal gradients due to their elevated and exposed geometry. A hybrid MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) circuit architecture is proposed that combines both technologies into a unified power management system with a predicted overall system efficiency exceeding 68%. Parametric sensitivity analysis identifies traffic volume, vehicle speed, and ambient temperature as the dominant governing parameters. The study c
Read the Full Article
The HTML galley is loaded below for inline reading and better discovery.
How to Cite
Aduot Madit Anhiem (2026). Energy Harvesting from Road Pavement Vibrations: Piezoelectric and Thermoelectric Approaches. African Journal of Energy Systems and Sustainable Technologies, Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026): Volume 1, Issue 1 (2026). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19249519
Keywords
piezoelectric energy harvestingthermoelectric generatorroad pavementsustainable infrastructureMPPTtropical climateSeebeck effectvibration en ergy
Research Snapshot
Desktop reading viewLanguage
EN
Formats
HTML + PDF
Publication Track
Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026): Volume 1, Issue 1 (2026)
Current Journal
African Journal of Energy Systems and Sustainable Technologies
References
- Abdel-Jaber, H., & Hamdan, F. (2020). Piezoelectric road energy harvesting: review and viability for developing countries. Journal of Cleaner Production, 259, 120882.
- Hasebe, M., Kamikawa, Y., & Meiarashi, S. (2006). Thermoelectric generators using solar thermal energy in heated road pavement. Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Thermoelectrics, Vienna, 697–700.
- IEA (International Energy Agency). (2022). Africa Energy Outlook 2022. IEA, Paris.
- IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency). (2023). Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2022. IRENA, Abu Dhabi.
- Kim, H. S., Kim, J. H., & Kim, J. (2012). A review of piezoelectric energy harvesting based on vibra tion. International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing, 12(6), 1129–1141.
- Moure, A., Izquierdo Rodríguez, M. A., Rueda, S. H., Gonzalo, A., Rubio-Marcos, F., Urquiza Cuadros, D., & Fernández, J. F. (2016). Feasible integration in asphalt of piezoelectric cymbals for vibration energy harvesting. Energy Conversion and Management, 112, 246–253.
- Mureithi, E. W., Mwangi, S. M., & Gariy, Z. C. A. (2019). Axle load spectrum for pavement design: weigh-in-motion data from the Northern Corridor, Kenya . Journal of South African Institution of Civil Engineering, 61(4), 30–40.
- Roshani, H., Dessouky, S., Montoya, A., & Papagiannakis, A. T. (2018). Energy harvesting from asphalt pavement roadways vehicle-induced stresses: a feasibility study. Applied Energy , 182, 210–218.
- Ministry of Roads and Bridges. (2023). Juba–Nimule Highway Rehabilitation and Upgrade Feasibility Study. MoRB, Juba.
- Wang, C., Wang, Z., Yang, R., & Zhang, Y. (2018). Piezoelectric energy harvesting from pavement: review of state-of- practice and technical challenges. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, 29, 12–23.
- World Bank. (2022). South Sudan Infrastructure Assessment Report. World Bank Group, Washington, D.C.
- Wu, Z., & Yu, D. (2012). Piezoelectric energy harvesting fro m road pavement under traffic loading. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers — Energy, 165(EN3), 179–186.
- Xie, X. D., Wang, Q., & Wu, N. (2014). Energy harvesting from transverse ocean waves by a piezoelectric plate. International Journal of En gineering Science, 81, 41–48.
- Zhao, H., Yu, J., & Ling, J. (2010). Finite element analysis of Cymbal piezoelectric transducers for harvesting energy from asphalt pavement. Journal of the Ceramic Society of Japan, 118, 909–915.
- Tollefsen, M. E., & Karoumi, R. (2012). Bridge monitoring and energy harvesting from bridge vibration. Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium on Life-Cycle Civil Engineering, Vienna.
- Peigney, M., & Siegert, D. (2013). Piezoelectric energy harvesting from traffic-induced bridge vibrations. Smart Materials and Structures, 22(9), 095019.
- Guo, L., & Lu, Q. (2017). Potentials of piezoelectric and thermoelectric technologies for harvesting energy from pavements. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 72, 761–773.
- Hao, J. L., & Cho w, W. K. (2010). Performance of thermoelectric generator in sub-tropical climates. Building and Environment, 45(5), 1162–1168.
- Lin, T., Pan, Y., Chen, S., & Zuo, L. (2018). Structural and electrical analysis of different PVDF bridge connections for vibrati on energy harvesters. Smart Materials and Structures, 27(3), 035004.
- Venugopal, A., Bhave, S. A., & Singh, S. N. (2021). Review of concentrated solar power technology and pavement interaction for urban heat mitigation and energy recovery. Renewable Energy, 169, 618–641.
- Pirisi, A., Mussetta, M., Grimaccia, F., & Zich, R. E. (2013). Novel speed-bump device for energy harvesting from traffic. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, 14(4), 1983–1991.
- El-hami, M., Glynne-Jones, P., White, N. M. , Hill, M., Beeby, S., James, E., Brown, A. D., & Ross, J. N. (2001). Design and fabrication of a new vibration-based electromechanical power generator. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 92(1–3), 335–342.
- Dessouky, S., Montoya, A., Roshani, H., Papagianna kis, A. T., & Meigoosta, M. (2020). Optimisation of energy harvesting by pavement-embedded piezoelectric systems using Taguchi design. Road Materia