Finite element modeling and experimental study on an innovative pavement module integrated photovoltaic-piezoelectric effects

Pavement photovoltaic (PV) power generation technology effectively addresses the issue of optimizing the energy structure related to PV power generation and local consumption. However, the single PV power supply mode is susceptible to the influence of day-night alternation, weather changes, and vehicle shadows, resulting in significant intermittent defects. To address this issue, this paper proposes a two-in-one pavement module that integrates photovoltaic-piezoelectric effects to improve the efficiency of pavement PV power generation. Firstly, a modeling design and finite element simulation analysis of this module are conducted to verify the structural feasibility and safety margins under a 20 kN standard vertical load, establishing a simulated baseline of 1.193 × 107 cycles under simplified boundary conditions. Secondly, mathematical models for pavement PV power generation and piezoelectric power generation are established, incorporating a non-ideal mechanical coupling model and a quantitative thermo-mechano-electrical model, confirming the validity and feasibility of the models with a simulated power yield of approximately 22 mW at an optimal impedance of 680Ω. Then, experimental verification validates that the parallel connection topology effectively mitigates power losses under dynamic vehicle shading, while the optimized piezoelectric layout ensures stable energy output, significantly enhancing the power generation efficiency and system stability. Finally, a physical module is designed and manufactured, and performance tests are carried out to verify its power generation efficiency and stability in practical applications. Outdoor test results on the physical prototype show that the PV output power of the module reaches 5.286 W, while the piezoelectric unit delivers a stable rectified mean power of 17.99 mW. Furthermore, outdoor joint tests achieved a 1.55 W mean hybrid charging power, explicitly validating their functional complementarity: the PV array acts as the primary energy provider, while the stable piezoelectric output provides an auxiliary baseline contribution for low-power intelligent sensors. Ultimately, this study is explicitly positioned as a prototype feasibility and safety margin verification under simplified boundary conditions.