Akshat Kothari - 11 D

Personal Project Report

A Step For A Change

Personal Project Report
Akshat Kothari (0102)
Year 11D
Dubai International Academy (002730)
MYP Personal Project 2014-2015

Personal Project

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Table of Contents
Table of Contents

Introduction

What is the Personal Project?

Inspiration

Product

Global Context

Investigating

Prior Knowledge

Goal

Choosing The Goal

ATL Reflection

Planning

10

Criteria

10

Sources

12

Reliability

14

Influence Towards Criteria

15

ATL Reflection

15

Taking Action

15

Action

15

Link To Global Context

16

ATL Reflection

17

Reflecting

18

Success Of Product

18

Understanding the global context

18

IB learner Profile

19

Works Cited

20

Appendix A

22

Survey Layout

Appendix B

22

23

Survey Results

23

Visual Representation Of Results

26

Analysis

28
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Appendix C
Pictures of completed product

Appendix D
Examples Of Process Journal Entries (10 Entries)

Personal Project Report

29
29

31
31

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Introduction
What is the Personal Project?
The personal project is an independent research project that allows a student to demonstrate their
skills gained throughout their student life in Approaches To Learning. It is made to test the ability of
a student as they work through their ability to organize, create, and complete a significant body of
work.

Inspiration
Science has always fascinated my imagination, especially in the field of Physics. Since a very
young age I have always thought of ways through which i can understand how something works
and more importantly why it works the way it does. This curiosity has allowed me to follow many
paths in the process of creating and inventing new ideas and then actually putting a few of those
into the real world. Through the use of my product I would like to propose the use of a new method
of generating electricity renewably.

Product
The product I have decided to create is an insole electricity generator that is able to generate
electricity when mechanical stress is applied to it, in this case the force from your feet when you
walk. This mechanical stress will produce short bursts of high voltages of AC current which can be
directed through a bridge diode to make a DC current and then to any electronic device, such as a
LED or a battery even to store the energy (electricity) for future use. The device is mobile as it is
made on a removable sole and therefore can be used on to any of the users shoes. This gives
more practicality to the device and a better user experience.

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Global Context
The global context chosen for this project was scientific and technical innovation. This was the
most relevant option as it deals with the laws of science and how people perceive the world around
them through the lens of science. The subtopic of the global context decided to be focused upon
would be: The impact of scientific and technological advances of communities and environments.

This is the most ideal situation through which my project can be portrayed as I am creating an
alternative means for renewable energy for the common man on an everyday basis as opposed to
more traditional methods such as wind, solar and hydro electricity etc. These traditional methods
are either deemed too inefficient or too expensive for a common person to use everyday. Since
piezoelectricity is a untapped industry as a source for generating electricity this ties right in with
taking the piezo one step further and creating technological advances to it.

Investigating
Prior Knowledge
The branch of science has been a part of education since primary school. Over the years we have
covered numerous topics in our classes through interactive learning and experiments. The topics
learnt have always caught my attention and interested me. One particular topic that really caught
my attention was Fossil Fuels that I studied in Year 9. When we learned the effects they had on the
environment and how we are soon going to run out of them in the future, it really got me thinking
about why couldn't we use alternative means of energy. Why can we not use renewable energy to
produce electricity for us? This got me thinking into ways through which we can harness electricity
from natural elements without using them up in the process. This knowledge about

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Goal
The goal of my personal project was to overall help in the reduction of fossil fuels as the main
source of energy in the world and the implementation of renewable sources of energy. Piezo electricity is an un exploited area of energy that has promising and an effective uses as a source of
alternative energy. To use piezo electricity effectively and implement it in everyday lives of normal
people, I decided to include it in a shoe and make sure it was removable so it is compatible with all
footwear. I decided to connect the generator to a power bank to allow the user to choose what
device they wants to charge without any limitations or constraints. This way the user will have an
incentive to take the sole with him as it is not only comfortable to wear but provides free electricity
for the user at no extra cost.

Choosing The Goal

To finally decide what i wanted my product to achieve was done using a mind map:

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The mind map was able to give me a basic idea on what i wanted to focus and how I will be
focusing on this topic.

After this however I was still not convinced that this was the best option for me and therefore I
decided to conduct research on all 6 topics mentioned above on the brainstorm my results are
summarized here:

A fitness monitor connected to a smart watch:

An idea of this was first ever thought of by Nike for their Nike+ brand. The sensors in the shoes
allowed basketball players to know when the jumped, how high they jumped(Telegraph,2015)and
how well the moved around (Chan, 2015). However the shoe ran on a battery and was not able to
produce its own energy to power its sensors. This however was not helping the environment in
any way and since the global context states the impact of scientific and technological advances of
communities and environments should be met. This was not really an option for me.

A source for electricity to LEDCs:

At an average, a villager walks everyday a total of 2.5-5 kilometers. Assuming the weight of the
villager is 60 kilograms, That is about 6-8 milliwatts of power per step. This energy could be
harvested to create a source of off the grid electricity for the villages to use for their lighting,
cooking and water problems. There has not been any invention on the this matter specifically. By
creating this I will be able to help the environment however the society as a whole would not
benefit and this does not meet all my criteria for my global context and is therefore not the right
choice.

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Alternative Renewable Energy:

There are many different types of footwear out their that let you generate electricity through
walking. When our body walks, we produce kinetic energy. This kinetic energy, if somehow turned
into electrical energy, can be used to produce electricity. A recent example of this was created by a
team of researchers from HSG-IMIT in Germany. They used to different devices and called them
the shock harvester and the swing harvester. Both of these work on the principle of copper coil
and magnet(BBC News, 2015). As the copper coil moves along the magnet in any direction it
causes a voltage to be produced as a result. This can be used to help the environment and also
can be used by all the people in the world therefore meeting the specifications for the global
context perfectly.

Availability for hikers in non commercial areas:

Camping and Hiking boots in particular were never given much attention in terms of being able to
produce electricity when of the main grid. However in 2014, a group of students from CarnegieMellon University produced a device called SolePower(Kickstarter, 2014). It uses the same
mechanism as talked about previously of the copper coil and magnet. However the only difference
here is the ability to be placed in a sole instead of the shoe itself. This allows mobility of the device
and the potential to be used in other shoes as well. The problem with this solution is that it is
unable to solve any directed towards a certain group and not the whole community and since my
global context requires it, this is ineffective for my project.

A source of GPS locator to keep track of your footsteps:

GPS location has become extremely important over the last few years and has become a
necessity for many people daily. This sparked the creation of a new technological shoe company
called Lechal. It provides a GPS (Global Position System) locator inbuilt into the shoe to allow it to
memorize the steps and recreate them onto a phone app when visiting the same area

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again(Ingole,2015). This is very useful for the people who are usually forgetful about where they
need to go. This however disagrees with my project guidelines again as they are not sustainable
by themselves (they run on a battery) and they do not help the environment directly. Even if these
were to be included with piezoelectric discs they would not help the whole community and
therefore deter my goal overall.

A foot massager by vibrating piezo crystals:

A foot massager that utilizes a piezo crystal does not exist as of yet. The closest thing that comes it
is the Quartz Acupuncture Pen. It is a pen shaped massaging devices the when pressed produces
a small current onto the affected area with the help of a piezo crystal(ib3health.com). The piezo
crystal squashes under pressure of the button producing a small harmless spark which in turn
activates your nerves to relieve pain. This idea is effective as it uses renewable energy but does
not help the society as a whole and is therefore not relevant to my global context.

After deeply analyzing all the points in my brainstorm. I have decided the an alternative source to
renewable energy is the best option to use as a goal for my personal project. This is because it
follows the rules of the global context chosen and at the same time can be used the most
practically in all the situations.

ATL Reflection
The most used Approaches To Learning used by me in this section would be Critical Thinking as I
was evaluating the different options available to me to make a well informed and intelligent choice
about my product.

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Planning
Criteria

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Sources
Researching was a very important part of the personal project for me. Most of the information
about how these piezoelectricity worked and if such a product was even possible, was all
understood only by research. The types of research I conducted during the personal project were
as follows:

Survey
To first analyze if a demand for such a product is there, I decided to conduct a survey. The survey
was created on SurveyMonkey.com and included high school students between the age of 13-16.
The survey results showed that most of the students did not know what Piezoelectricity was but
agreed that standard modes of renewable energy are not meeting the requirement needed for
each individual person. The survey results also show that battery requirements on personal
devices are not being met and a device that allows users to generate their own electricity for their

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personal devices with no extra effort. This has told me that such a device is desirable to create and
will be used by the consumers as a beneficial product.

Interview With An Engineer

To understand more about how a Piezoelectric sensor works, I decided to take advice from a
professional. Since I had taken a summer course at Brown University, Rhode Island, USA. I talked
to an electrical engineer to help me understand how they work. Luckily, the engineer I was taught
by was Nicholas Mostovych, who is currently researching lead free piezoelectric materials for
sensors and actuators. He has extensive knowledge on the topic of piezoelectricity and was
therefore a great help to me. Through this interview, I was able to understand that since more
current will be needed than voltage, we have to connect the piezo discs in a parallel circuit rather
than a series. This way the current is not divided up between each disc and the same current is
spread between them. He also told me to connect the positive to the inside of the disc (the white
area) and the negative to the outside (the golden area). This ensures that the circuit is correctly
orientated and provides maximum efficiency in the generation of electricity.

Videos
I had seen few videos to basically understand the concept behind piezoelectric crystals and also
the science behind why they work. This helps me get a basic understanding of what I am dealing
with. Through the videos, I was able to understand the lattice structure of naturally occurring
piezoelectric elements in nature such as quartz. I have learned that when a symmetrical lattice like
that of a piezo crystal has mechanical pressure applied onto it they tend to change shape and
become asymmetrical. Which in turn causes a voltage to be produced as the structure comes back
to its original shape. Another very important skill I learnt from a video was how to solder a piezo
electric disc. Since never having done this before, it was very helpful o have instructions to follow.

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News Articles
News articles were a very important source for me to find out what other projects have been done
about piezoelectricity to understand different methods and the technique through they work in the
real world. They helped me decide what has already been done before and what has never been
attempted. It also allowed me to understand the different features wanted in a product like the one I
am creating and the use of it in the real world. They have shown me how in the last decade the
urge to save the environment by common people has greatly arisen and therefore many people are
interested in the innovation and production of new and improved methods of renewable energy.

Research Reports
Research reports provide great insight into the experimentation of projects such as mine and the
most effective methods of conducting them. This could include the failed experiments and also the
results of the experiment and what tools were used to measure the voltage or current produced in
similar situations. This was extensively helpful for me and as it allowed me to gain insight on how
professional lab experiments took place and under what conditions. This way I could try to replicate
these into my own experiments for reduced error and better precision.

Reliability
The sources I used were showed a great method of professionalism and realistic information
proving them to be very reliable. The survey was conducted on high school students aged between
13-16 years old. This means that prior knowledge on the subject of science was present in all the
recipients and therefore made the questions taken in the survey more understandable. The
engineer was also a reliable source because of the extensive knowledge he possessed in the field
of piezoelectricity. As he owns a Phd. in Electrical Engineering, he was able to provide accurate
and relevant information relating to the construction and implementation of the product. The videos
watched were all also taken from reliable sources as they demonstrated professionality and quality

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in all of them. The first video researched is by the Government of Denmark as a commercial and is
therefore accurate. The second video researched was from a verified channel on youtube and this
proves that the information shown in the video is accurate. The third video even though is not
certified by youtube, the channel has numerous videos about electrical circuitry and about piezo
electrical discs especially. The news articles and the research reports were all taken from
accredited news websites and universities to ensure precision and accuracy of the information.

Influence Towards Criteria

This research has greatly helped me create my criteria as I am now able to understand what it
takes to make a good insole generator and what are the necessary guidelines followed by previous
scientific experiments to conclude a success for any experiment related to piezoelectricity. I have
understood that design and aesthetics are important however functionality and usability are on a
higher priority for my product. This has helped me focus my criteria more towards those.

ATL Reflection
This section again shows Critical Thinking, as I will be critically analyzing and interpreting the data
that I have collected previously and convey it into a concise criteria to follow for my product during
the creation process.

Taking Action
Action
The action I took to complete my goal was to build a insole generator. This is possible with the
principle of piezoelectricity. The sole consists of 12 piezoelectric transducers connected in a
parallel circuit that generate a short burst of electricity when mechanical stress is applied. This
electricity is then transferred and saved onto a power bank to be used later as a charging station

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for any portable USB powered device. The insole generator can be fitted into any shoe as it is
portable and comes with an insole on top and polystyrene pushers for added comfort.

Link To Global Context

This links in perfectly with my global context as my global context was:
Scientific and Technical Innovation
The device that I have produced as my final product has never been replicated at a personal level
like this and therefore the product displays technical innovation. I am also able to understand the
concept behind these crystals at not only the larger level but also the atomic level and clearly
understand the reason for why this happens. This shows scientific innovation as I am learning
something new through the understanding of the science behind it and educating myself on the
principles of it. The chosen subtopic in my global context was the impact of scientific and
technological advances of communities and environments. The insole generator helps generate a
source of renewable electricity. Since this helps reduce the total consumption of grid electricity and
in-turn reducing the consumption of fossil fuels. This provides a huge positive impact on the
environment. Communities are also greatly advanced by this project as the electricity bill per

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person is now reduced due to many of the phones being charged with the device. Causing a huge
boost in the economy and allowing people with more disposable income than before.

ATL Reflection
In this section, the most apt Approaches To Learning would be Self-Management. When studying
in a curriculum like the IB, managing your time is a crucial part of advancing in the course.
Especially in the personal project time managing for my product in tandem to school studies have
allowed me to reduce stress and produce a much more polished and clear product than if
everything would have been done last minute.

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Reflecting
Success Of Product
The product will be severely to make sure the criteria are met and are attained to the highest mark.
Criterion

Method Of Evaluation

Aesthetics

The product made will be made into a smaller size

to make sure it is possible to create sizes such as
39. The product will be used as testing while playing
a sport to test its durability in a rigorous
environment. The sole will be worn for prolonged
periods of time to make sure it is comfortable and
the sole and foam pushers are doing their job.

User/Audience

Make sure the product is functioning and easy to

handle by any member of the audience it is intended
for.

Environmental Considerations

Using the same method test the sole for its durability
to determine the life span and calculating the total
cost of the whole product to be not more than 55$

Function

Check the power produced by the generator with a

voltmeter and make sure it exceed 24 volts. Ask a
science teacher to verify if the circuit is indeed
parallel.

Materials

Test the materials under the 16th US Code against

the environment. Compare the voltage produced by
the discs to the factory value to measure efficiency.
Test the resistance in the wires with the multimeter
and the wire has less than 15 strands to make sure
the resistance is less

Impact

Ask an audience member if the shown product is

effective in any sense and if he/she would use it.

Understanding the global context

After completing this project, I began to realize that helping the community and having technical
and scientific innovation at the same time is not easy. There is always someone that is one step
ahead of you and as soon as you finish something, something new has come up. Scientific and
Technical innovation at this day and age moves rapidly. Everyday we have a new invention or
innovation and every other day there is something to top it. This continuous cyber war is what has

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actually allowed us to advance so far in this field. My product is just one step further into the field of
scientific innovation of renewable energy just waiting to be taken over by something new.

IB learner Profile
Throughout the whole course, these are the IB learner profiles I have displayed:
Open Minded: I have shown this through my project as at first I was trying different methods of
renewable energy and researching all the types of different renewable energies and not just
concentrating on a few of them. This allowed me to find new and unexploited modes of energy that
have not been overused and at the same time provide viable solutions.
Knowledgable: Since a lot of the information I have gained to be able to produce this project has
come from external sources or previous knowledge, I had to make sure that I understood all of the
information found out through these methods and be able to put it into a physical object. Even a
small mistake would ruin the whole project and therefore I made sure to be fully knowledgeable
about everything I needed to know for this project.
Risk Takers: Since piezoelectricity as a form of renewable energy is such a new and unknown
area, I had taken a big risk when I decided to do this project as my final personal project. I was
completely new to this type of electricity and therefore had to learn everything about this from
scratch. Since a lot of time had to be invested into creating the product. If i realized in the middle of
this I was unable to do it, it would be too late to change.

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Works Cited

Reports/Books:

Ylli, K. Energy Harvesting from Human Motion: Exploiting Swing and Shock Excitations
(n.d.): n. pag. IOP Science. IOP Science, 14 Jan. 2015. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.
Boby, Kiran. "Footstep Power Generation Using Piezo Electric Transducers." International
Journal of Engineering and Innovative Technology (IJEIT) 3.10 (2014): n. pag.
IJEIT, Apr. 2014. Web. 12 Jan. 2015.
Videos:

"How Do Piezoelectric Butane Lighters Work? | Physics | Fran Scott | Head STEAM."
YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 29 Dec. 2014.
"How Do Piezoelectric Butane Lighters Work? | Physics | Fran Scott | Head STEAM."
YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 29 Dec. 2014.
"How to Solder a Piezo Pickup." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2015.
"Piezo-Electricity: Power by Footsteps and Vibrations." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 22 Jan.
2015.

Interviews/ Surveys:

Mostovych, Nicholas. "Lesson about Piezoelectricity." Personal interview. 17 July 2014.

"Personal Project Survey." Interview by Akshat Kothari. Personal Project Survey. Survey
Monkey, 10 Dec. 2014. Web. <https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/S8LDG7W>.

Web Pages:

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BBC News,. 'Shoe Generates Power From Walking'. N.p., 2015. Web. 7 Jan. 2015.
Chan, Casey. 'The New Nike+ Is A Futuristic Sensor That Brings The Power Of Nike's
Research Labs To Your Shoes'. Gizmodo. N.p., 2015. Web. 11 Jan. 2015.
Ib3health.com,. 'Quartz Acupressure Pen, Electrical Stimulation Without Batteries. Piezo
Electrical Charge Is Like Acupuncture Without Needles!'. N.p., 2015. Web. 22 Feb.
2015.
Ingole, Vishal. 'The Vibrating Smartshoes To Help You Get Around!'. Gizmodo. N.p., 2015.
Web. 3 Feb. 2015.
Kickstarter,. 'Solepower: Power By Walking'. N.p., 2014. Web. 2 Feb. 2015.
Lechal.com,. 'Lechal'. N.p., 2015. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.
Outside Online,. 'Can You Really Generate Electricity With A Hiking Boot?'. N.p., 2015. Web.
3 Jan. 2015.
Telegraph.co.uk,. 'Nike Unveil 'Smart' Trainers That Record How High You Jump - Telegraph'.
N.p., 2014. Web. 22 Dec. 2014.

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Appendix A

Survey Layout
Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/S8LDG7W

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Appendix B

Survey Results

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Total Number Of Respondents = 22

Total Number Answered = 19
3 Respondents declined to answer

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Visual Representation Of Results

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Analysis
After thoroughly analyzing the data from the survey, It was clear to see that the knowledge about
piezoelectricity was not prominent in most of the survey takers (77.27%). This data was able to
confirm my doubts about the unpopularity of this field of electricity. This helped me decide the goal
I wanted to conduct for my personal project and at the same time educate my audience about this
field and its potential as a source of renewable energy. The question about the phone running out
of battery was used to make me understand the severity of the problem and if the audience is
facing a problem that my insole generator can actually solve.The response to that question was
positive as most of the responses showed their phone battery died in 1 day (72.73%). The question
about if they would be willing to use my product would be important as it shoes the potential for
creating a product like this and if the market for this product is beneficial or not. Since most the
survey takers responded Yes (72.73%) and Probably (22.73%) it gave me the want the product
has and that it would be profitable and beneficial to go into the creation process. The written
answers in the survey also allowed me to realize the sudden jump in trend of environmental issues
and the demand for different renewable sources as alternatives to the main type of energy.

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Appendix C

Pictures of completed product

Left View

Back View

Right View

Front View

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Top View

Personal Project Report

Sole View

Insole
Generator
Exposed
Without
foam sole

Insole
Generator
Outside
Shoe
(Bare)

Insole
Generator
Seen Under
Sole
Capacitor and a
4-way Bridge
Diode connected
to insole
generator and
power bank

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Appendix D

Examples Of Process Journal Entries (10 Entries)

July 30, 2014
Since now i have chosen my idea, I have to find a feasible way to create it that will be
possible and yet work effectively. I researched on different materials that can conduct
electricity through pressure and came up with 2 choices. A piezo electric transducer or a
crankshaft. To decide on which one would be the best for me, I have created a table with
the advantages and disadvantages.

July 31, 2014

After analyzing the data, it is pretty clear that i should go with the Piezo electric transducer as
my main source of generating electricity as it not only produces more electricity, it also allows
the user to insert the sole into any shoe and use it making it much more mobile. Now i must
look for websites that I will be able to buy the products from. I will have to look for website
that can sell me good quality products and yet at a good price. I will start my search by
looking at online shopping websites such as eBay.com and amazon.com. These are good
websites because they have people selling all varieties of products and from different markets
around the world, this can guarantee that the parts I am looking for will be found and at
reasonable prices. The list of equipment I plan to buy:
35mm Piezoelectric Transducers x100
1n4007 rectifier diodes x25
1m x 1m clear acrylic sheet
10 meters of insulated wire
Multimeter
Exacto Knife
100nF Capacitor x10
Soldering Iron
Solder Wire Coils x2
A USB powered Powerbank
Wood Glue

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I have also started searching for people who have created or thought of similar projects to get
inspiration from and understand their ideas as well. The websites i will be looking at this for
will be instructables.com and kickstarter.com. These websites are very helpful for my project
as they allow me to explore similar amateur projects through innovation and see step by step
guides on how to build some of these and get the necessary parts.

August 14, 2014

I conducted a small interview with an Electrical Engineer named Nicholas Mostovych at
Brown University, Rhode Island. Nicholas was the best help for my project as he himself is
doing extensive research on lead free piezo electric materials and how they can be
implemented into the circuit boards and actuators. I asked him to help me understand if the
plan for my project was viable and if the solution given by the project will actually work or not.
He was able to make me understand the concept behind piezoelectric transducers and also
able to understand how to connect the discs in a parallel circuit and why this is able to
produce more energy than if done in a series circuit. He gave me many ideas about how I
should use piezo electric crystals as different projects, but I was still not convinced with any
of them and decided to keep the same idea I had thought of before. After the interview my
idea was much clearer in my head and I think I understood piezoelectricity this way much
better than I would have if i saw a video. Since we were at the university, I was able to get a
hands on to some samples of quartz crystals and Nicholas gave me a physical demonstration
of how electricity is produced when the quartz has mechanical stress applied to it. Since I am
more of a physical and visual learner this exercise was greatly beneficial for me as a lot of my
doubts had been cleared and I had a more transparent understanding on my project as a
whole. The notes I took from the interview have been shown below:

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September 23, 2014

Today using the wood glue, I stuck all the piezos into their respective holes. I used wood glue
as it has the ability to retain its elasticity even after it dries. This is very helpful as it keeps the
piezos firm to the PVC and at the
same time make it flexible to collect
the most amount of energy per press.
The wood glue actually worked very
well as all the disks stuck with only a
small amount and it was firm yet
rubbery. Then I tested the claim by
stepping onto the sole with my legs
and putting all of my body weight on
certain areas. I was actually surprised
to find out that the disks held up pretty
well. After testing them I started to work on the back of the sole to glue another 3 of the
piezos to the opposite side and have a total of 6 piezo disks back to back. This allows me to
maximize my energy production in the same surface area. I then repeated the testing on the
back side. The discs again held up well against my body weight as a whole and were able to
flex under pressure.

October 4, 2014
The wiring was to be done today for at least one side of the sole. This includes both the
positive and negative wiring required. The steps I will take to complete the wiring are:
First measure the necessary lengths between the piezo discs required to solder the
crystal side to each other, making the positive leads of the circuit.
Carefully solder each of the wires to the respective discs for the positive side (ceramic
side) (positive)
Carefully solder each of the wires to the respective discs for the positive side (brass side)
(negative)
This will be the orientation of the circuit on one side to show how all of the piezos are
connected in a parallel circuit. This will be done to ensure that we are able to produce more
current than voltage and each of the disc can function on its own without the need for all of
them to be pressed together. This setup as of now will produce only an AC current, however
a DC current is required to charge any electronic device. This will be converted later in the
process through a 4-way bridge diode. The diagram shows only one side of the sole but a
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Personal Project Report

ditto circuit will be made on the opposite side of the sole and connected with each other
through a negative and positive wire
connected like this:
Piezo Disc

This diagram was made using the circuit

diagram builder on lucidcharts.com

October 29, 2014

Today, I decided to work on the 4-way bridge diode, as I realized after a bit of research that
since the piezo disks produce an AC current but a battery
requires a DC current. A bridge diode is needed that
consists of 4 rectifier diodes that conjoin in a square
formation. The diagram shows how the diodes are
arranged. Though a single diode does change the AC to
DC current slightly but a perfect DC current can only be
achieved by 4 diodes in this position. I decided not to take

The power source

connected to the
sole and receiving
the electricity
(Battery or LED)

a risk of the efficiency and go with the full 4 way bridge

diode. This will cost me time and some of the power will be
lost to resistance as well. But since a battery will require a
full DC current and a single diode will fluctuate between AC
and DC, The batterys charging will also fluctuate causing harm to the battery and harm to
the device charging from the battery as well. Since this risk is more dangerous than losing a
few millivolts to resistance I decided to use the proper 4-way bridge diode rather than a single
diode.

November 6, 2014
Today I tested the generator using the voltmeter I had previously ordered with all the
equipment. I did not expect to see such results but i realized that I was not able to produce
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Personal Project Report

the initial thought of voltage. I conducted some research to find out that a normal power bank
like the one I used needs about 24 volts for the current to be passed on to the cell. My
generator with normal walking was maxing out anywhere between 15-23 volts. Sometimes
24 volts were reached but I was unable to actually keep this voltage consistent and this was
not sufficient to supply constant voltage to the power bank.
I studied my final design carefully and deduced that the main reasons for this were the
following:
The wires were too thick and caused a lot of resistance when electricity was transferred
There were not enough piezo discs used to generate enough electricity
The soldering was very messy and a lot of the crystal paint was scratched off causing it to
lose its ability to generate electricity
To solve these problems, I decided to make a whole new sole with a 6 piezo discs back to
back making a total of 12. this would allow me to generate double the energy. Another
change was to use much thinner wires that caused less resistance to go oppose the current.
Also I invested in a much better quality soldering iron to make sure all of my soldering was
done in a single go to minimize mistakes and not get the paint chipped off from the discs. I
had to make a new circuit diagram for this and I will do this tomorrow.

November 23, 2014

I answered the questions given to me by my supervisor on the previous meeting and emailed
it to her, I got the feedback back pretty quickly and I now know what I must include in my
report and what needs to be changed. This has shown me that detail is extremely important

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Personal Project Report

and explanation of all the small points is what provides the detail necessary. This is the

screenshot of my answers with the feedback received.

The feedback has helped me a lot and now I am able to understand that detail is very
important when writing the report and without those small details the report looks incomplete.
An example of this would be when I say real life engineers I need to specify that they will be
Electrical Engineers as in the case of my project, a Civil engineer would not make sense.
Another very important thing I learned through this exercise was to always provide proof of
the primary research I intend to do, In this case a picture of the email or a picture of the notes
taken during the session would also be sufficient.

January 3, 2015
The new wires and soldering iron have arrived today. And as soon as they arrived I started
working on the new insole generator with 12 piezo discs. I was surprised at how fast I was
able to finish this one than the previous one. This was because there was no learning
necessary and also practice has helped me a lot. I was able to solder after with the new
soldering iron and practice of soldering from a video that teaches me how to solder a piezo
pick up very fast and efficiently: www.youtube.com/watch?v=i75semvJblI. This has greatly
helped me increase my efficiency and since it is done by a professional who deals in peizos
everyday it can be trusted.
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Since all the other parts were also already ready because the first time I had ordered them
from eBay, I had planned for contingencies and ordered many more parts than necessary so
no time in waiting was lost. I am very glad that I did this step as now I am able to complete
the second sole much faster and much neater than the previous time.

January 6, 2015
Today I tested the 12 piezo disc sole and recorded the results for the voltage produced and
compared them to the previous results found with the 6 piezo disc sole. The results I
recorded produced by the insole generator were about about 27-32 volts at average walking
speed. They were measured using a multimeter to make sure they were exact and accurate.
Everything else was kept consistent to make sure the tests were fair. It is clear that the total
power produced per step is far greater than that of the 6 piezo disc sole, which was only
producing about 18-23 volts. This will be more than enough Power (watts) to charge the
battery safely without any conservation problems. To further be a 100% sure that this
problem will not occur, I have added a 100nF capacitor to hold the charge produced by the
piezos for a longer time and then slowly feed it to the battery. A capacitor will be able to hold
the power produced by the piezos and avoid the battery from cutting out, which can happen
when too much of power is supplied to it, This is done to save the battery from further
damage.

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