Electronic Characterisation of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters from Locally Available Quartz Crystals in Plateau State

Background: Piezoelectric energy harvesting from ambient mechanical vibrations is an emerging technology for powering low-energy sensors and IoT devices. Nigeria's Plateau State possesses commercially exploited quartz deposits that may serve as raw piezoelectric material sources. Aim: This study characterised the piezoelectric energy harvesting performance of quartz crystals sourced from Plateau State. Methods: Quartz samples were cut, polished, and electroded using silver paste. Piezoelectric charge coefficients were measured using a Berlincourt d33 metre. Output voltage and power under mechanical excitation were measured across a range of load resistances from 1 to 10 megaohms using a calibrated vibration shaker. Results: Piezoelectric charge coefficients (d33) of the Plateau State quartz samples ranged from 2.1 to 2.7 pC/N, comparable to natural alpha-quartz benchmarks. Peak output power density reached 12.4 microwatts per cm2 at 100 Hz excitation frequency. Optimal load resistance was 470 kilohms. Conclusion: Plateau State quartz crystals demonstrate viable piezoelectric properties for small-scale energy harvesting applications. Further research into crystal cutting orientation optimisation and thin-film electrode deposition is recommended for improved energy conversion efficiency. Keywords: piezoelectric, energy harvesting, quartz, Plateau State, vibration energy.