Modeling a novel energy harvester working in Lame mode

A new square shaped piezoelectric bimorph structure for energy scavenging purposes has been proposed and simulated. It is derived from theoretical analysis that the output power of the structure is proportional to the value of the resonant frequency. The device working in Lame mode has a much higher resonant frequency of 2.39 MHz than devices working in ordinary bending modes, which is expected to significantly increase the energy output of radioisotope power generators (RPGs). The results of static analysis and dynamic response show that output voltage is linear with the applied load; the output power is quadratic with the applied load.     

Potential of a piezoelectric energy harvester from sea waves

A sea wave energy harvester from the longitudinal wave motion of water particles is developed. The harvester consisting of a cantilever substrate attached by piezoelectric patches and a proof mass is used to collect electrical energy owing to the electromechanical coupling effect of the piezoelectric patches from the longitudinal wave motion. To describe the energy harvesting process, a mathematical model is developed to calculate the output charge and voltage from the piezoelectric patches according to the Airy linear wave theory and classical elastic beam model. Results show that the mean value of the generated power increases with the increase in the ratio of the width to the thickness of the cantilever, the wave height, the sea depth (which equals to the cantilever height in this study), the ratio of the proof mass to the cantilever mass, and the ratio of the sea depth to the wave length. A value of the power up to 55 W can be realized for a practical sea wave with the values of the sea depth, wave height and wave length to be 3 m, 2 m, and 15 m, respectively. The collected power harvesting with respect to different categories of the sea waves are provided. Our simulations also show the generated electric power can be further increased by an increase in dimensions of the harvester considering the scale effect. This research develops a new technique for energy harvesting from sea waves by piezoelectric energy harvesters.     

Investigations of a nonlinear energy harvester with a bistable potential well

This paper investigates a nonlinear energy harvester that uses magnetic interactions to create an inertial generator with a bistable potential well. The motivating hypothesis for this work was that nonlinear behavior could be used to improve the performance of an energy harvester by broadening its frequency response. Theoretical investigations study the harvester's response when directly powering an electrical load. Both theoretical and experimental tests show that the potential well escape phenomenon can be used to broaden the frequency response of an energy harvester.     

Performance of a cantilever piezoelectric energy harvester impacting a bump stop

Piezoelectric cantilever beam energy harvesters are commonly used to convert ambient vibration into electrical energy. In practical applications, energy harvesters are subjected to large shocks which can shorten the service life by causing mechanical failure. In this work, a bump stop is introduced into the design of a piezoelectric cantilever beam energy harvester to limit the maximum displacement of the cantilever and prevent excessively high bending stresses developing as a result of shocks. In addition to limiting the maximum displacement of the beam, it is inevitable that the deflected shape of the beam and the electrical output are modified. A theoretical model for a piezoelectric cantilever beam harvester impacting against a stop is derived, which aims to develop an understanding of the vibration characteristics of the cantilever and quantify how the electrical output of the harvester is affected by the stop. An experiment is set up to measure the dynamics and the electrical output of a bimorph energy harvester and to validate the theoretical model. Numerical simulation results are presented for energy harvesters with different initial gaps and different stop locations, and it is found that the reduction in maximum bending stress is at the expense of the electrical power of the harvester.     

Modeling of a nanoscale flexoelectric energy harvester with surface effects

This work presents the modeling of a beam energy harvester scavenging energy from ambient vibration based on the phenomenon of flexoelectricity. By considering surface elasticity, residual surface stress, surface piezoelectricity and bulk flexoelectricity, a modified Euler-Bernoulli beam model for the energy harvester is developed. After deriving the requisite energy expressions, the extended Hamilton's principle and the assumed-modes method are employed to obtain the discrete electromechanical Euler-Lagrange's equations. Then, the expressions of the steady-state electromechanical responses are given for harmonic base excitation. Numerical simulations are conducted to show the output voltage and the output power of the flexoelectric energy harvesters with different materials and sizes. Particular emphasis is given to the surface effects on the performance of the energy harvesters. It is found that the surface effects are sensitive to the beam geometries and the surface material constants, and the effect of residual surface stress is more significant than that of the surface elasticity and the surface piezoelectricity. The axial deformation of the beam is also considered in the model to account for the electromechanical coupling due to piezoelectricity, and results indicate that piezoelectricity will diminish the output electrical quantities for the case investigated. This work could lead to the development of flexoelectric energy harvesters that can make the micro- and nanoscale sensor systems autonomous.     

A non-ideal portal frame energy harvester controlled using a pendulum

A model of energy harvester based on a simple portal frame structure is presented. The system is considered to be non-ideal system (NIS) due to interaction with the energy source, a DC motor with limited power supply and the system structure. The nonlinearities present in the piezoelectric material are considered in the piezoelectric coupling mathematical model. The system is a bi-stable Duffing oscillator presenting a chaotic behavior. Analyzing the average power variation, and bifurcation diagrams, the value of the control variable that optimizes power or average value that stabilizes the chaotic system in the periodic orbit is determined. The control sensitivity is determined to parametric errors in the damping and stiffness parameters of the portal frame. The proposed passive control technique uses a simple pendulum to tuned to the vibration of the structure to improve the energy harvesting. The results show that with the implementation of the control strategy it is possible to eliminate the need for active or semi active control, usually more complex. The control also provides a way to regulate the energy captured to a desired operating frequency.     

Nonlinear dynamics of a bistable piezoelectric-composite energy harvester for broadband application

The continuing need for reduced power requirements for small electronic components, such as wireless sensor networks, has prompted renewed interest in recent years for energy harvesting technologies capable of capturing energy from ambient vibrations. A particular focus has been placed on piezoelectric materials and devices due to the simplicity of the mechanical to electrical energy conversion and their high strain energy densities compared to electrostatic and electromagnetic equivalents. In this paper an arrangement of piezoelectric layers attached to a bistable asymmetric laminate is investigated experimentally to understand the dynamic response of the structure and power generation characteristics. The inherent bistability of the underlying structure is exploited for energy harvesting since a transition from one stable configuration to another, or “snap-through”, is used to repeatedly strain the surface bonded piezoelectric and generate electrical energy. This approach has been shown to exhibit high levels of power extraction over a wide range of vibrational frequencies. Using high speed digital image correlation, a variety of dynamic modes of oscillation are identified in the harvester. The sensitivity of such modes to changes in vibration frequency and amplitude are investigated. Power outputs are measured for repeatable snap-through events of the device and are correlated with the measured modes of oscillation. The typical power generated is approximately 3.2?mW, comparing well with the needs of typical wireless senor node applications.     

Experimental model validation for a nonlinear energy harvester incorporating a bump stop

In some practical applications, cantilever beam piezoelectric energy harvesters are subjected to large amplitude base excitations which induce nonlinear behaviour in the harvester that affects their performance. In this paper, a cantilever piezoelectric energy harvester model is developed which takes account of geometric nonlinearity arising through the inextensible beam condition and material nonlinearity arising in the piezoelectric layers of the harvester. The model is validated against experimental measurements for different base accelerations and load resistances, and an investigation into the nonlinear behaviour indicates that nonlinear softening is caused predominantly by material nonlinearity. To reduce the beam amplitude and the resulting bending stress in the cantilever harvester, a bump stop is incorporated into the harvester design and the influence of the bump stop is modelled. Comparisons of theoretical predictions with experimental measurements indicate that taking account of the nonlinear behaviour improves the prediction significantly in some cases. Parameter studies are also conducted to investigate how the stop location and initial gap size between the harvester and stop affect the performance of the nonlinear energy harvester.     

Multiple solutions and corresponding power output of a nonlinear bistable piezoelectric energy harvester

We examine multiple responses of a vibrational energy harvester composed of a verticalbeam and a tip mass. The beam is excited horizontally by a harmonic inertial force whilemechanical vibrational energy is converted to electrical power through a piezoelectricpatch. The mechanical resonator can be described by single or double well potentialsdepending on the gravity force from the tip mass. By changing the tip mass we examine theappearance of various solutions and their basins of attraction. Identification ofparticular solutions of the energy harvester is important as each solution may provide adifferent level of power output.     

Analysis of the energy extracted by a harvester based on a piezoelectric tile

In this paper, we analyze the maximum energy that can be extracted from a piezoelectric harvester subject to pulsed excitation, with an interface circuit composed by a standard bridge rectifier. We show that the optimal voltage of the DC load of the bridge rectifier is a fraction, comprised between 1/3 and ½, of the open-circuit voltage, depending on the piezoelectric losses and excitation time. A simple analytical model is provided, whose accuracy has been assessed against SPICE simulations. Furthermore, preliminary experimental tests carried out over a commercial piezoelectric tile confirm the validity of the proposed model.     

采用Helmholtz共鸣器与悬臂梁压电换能器的声能采集器研究

针对环境中广泛存在的声能,提出了一种采用Helmholtz共鸣器和悬臂梁压电换能器的声能采集器。Helmholtz共鸣器对入射声压进行放大,放大后的声压引起共鸣器弹性薄壁振动,薄壁的振动传递到压电换能器产生电能输出。建立了带弹性壁的立方形共鸣器的等效集中参数理论模型,并与压电换能器的机电特性结合,分析了声能采集器的声-机-电转换原理,研究了声压、声波频率和负载阻抗对输出功率的影响,研究结果为此类声能采集器的优化设计及工程应用提供了一种可行的方法。实验中,声源通过声波导管输出声能,当共鸣器管口处的声压级为94 dB时,系统实测最大输出功率达240μW。该采集器不仅可作为声能自供能采集器,还可在较远距离为低能耗电子装置进行有源声供能。     

Prompt efficiency of energy harvesting by magnetic coupling of an improved bi-stable system

In order to improve the transform efficiency of bi-stable energy harvester(BEH),this paper proposes an advanced bi-stable energy harvester(ABEH),which is composed of two bi-stable beams coupling through their magnets.Theoretical analyzes and simulations for the ABEH are carried out.First,the mathematical model is established and its dynamical equations are derived.The formulas of magnetic force in two directions are given.The potential energy barrier of ABEH is reduced and the snap-through is liable to occur between potential wells.To demonstrate the ABEH's advantage in harvesting energy,comparisons between the ABEH and the BEH are carried out for both harmonic and stochastic excitations.Our results reveal that the ABEH's inter-well response can be elicited by a low-frequency excitation and the harvester can attain frequent jumping between potential wells at fairly weak random excitations.Thus,it can generate a higher output power.The present findings prove that the ABEH is preferable in harvesting energy and can be optimally designed such that it attains the best harvesting performance.     

On the cross-well dynamics of a bi-stable composite plate

Multi-stable composites are a novel type of composites capable of adopting multiple statically stable configurations. Due to the multi-stability property this type of composite material has been considered for several applications, particularly for morphing structures. The change of shape between stable states is achieved by a nonlinear mechanism known as snap-through. Most of the research done on these composites has focused on predicting the configuration after manufacture, its static characteristics and static actuation strategies to induce snap-through. However, these structures will operate subject to dynamic loads. Yet, very little work has been carried out to examine the dynamic behaviour of bi-stable composites. This paper focuses on the study of the cross-well dynamics of a bi-stable composite plate. A simple model previously derived for the dynamics confined to a single stable state is extended to include cross-well dynamics. The rich dynamics are experimentally investigated, focusing on cross-well oscillations and the key dynamic features of snap-through. Numerical simulations are obtained and compared to the experimental results showing good agreement. In particular, experimentally observed characteristics suggesting chaotic oscillations for cross-well dynamics are captured well by the proposed model. The results herein could be used for implementing control strategies for both configuration morphing and undesired snap-through suppression of bi-stable composites.     

A multi-stable energy harvester: Dynamic modeling and bifurcation analysis

A theoretical investigation is conducted on the dynamic and energetic characteristics of a multi-stable bimorph cantilever energy harvester that uses magnetic attraction effect. The multi-stable energy harvester under study is composed of a bimorph cantilever beam with soft magnetic tip and two externally fixed permanent magnets that are arranged in series. With this configuration, the magnetic force and the moment that are exerted on the cantilever tip tend to be highly dependent on the magnetic field induced by the external magnets. Such an energy harvester can possess multi-stable potential functions, ranging from mono-stable to penta-stable. The mechanism that governs the formation of this multi-stability is thoroughly identified and examined thorough a bifurcation analysis performed on the system?s equilibrium solutions. From this analysis, it is found that the transitions between these multi-stable states occur through very complicated bifurcation scenarios that include degenerate pitchfork bifurcations and mergers of pitchfork bifurcations or saddle-node bifurcations. Bifurcation set diagram is obtained, which is composed of five separate parametric regions, from mono- to penta-stability. The resulting stability map satisfactorily describes the multi-stable characteristics of the present energy harvester. In addition, the dynamic and energetic characteristics of the present multi-stable energy harvester are more thoroughly examined using its potential energy diagrams and a series of numerical simulations, and the obtained results are compared with those for the equivalent bi-stable cases.     

An investigation into the simultaneous use of a resonator as an energy harvester and a vibration absorber

A mass–spring–damper system is at the core of both a vibration absorber and a harvester of energy from ambient vibrations. If such a device is attached to a structure that has a high impedance, then it will have very little effect on the vibrations of the structure, but it can be used to convert mechanical vibrations into electrical energy (act as an energy harvester). However, if the same device is attached to a structure that has a relatively low impedance, then the device may attenuate the vibrations as it may act as both a vibration absorber and an energy harvester simultaneously. In this paper such a device is discussed. Two situations are considered; the first is when the structure is excited with broadband random excitation and the second is when the structure is excited by a single frequency. The optimum parameters of the device for both energy harvesting and vibration attenuation are discussed for these two cases. For random excitation it is found that if the device is optimized for vibration suppression, then this is also adequate for maximizing the energy absorbed (harvested), and thus a single device can effectively suppress vibration and harvest energy at the same time. For single frequency excitation this is found not to be the case. To maximize the energy harvested, the natural frequency of the system (host structure and absorber) has to coincide with the forcing frequency, but to minimize vibration of the host structure, the natural frequency of the absorber has to coincide with the forcing frequency. In this case, therefore, a single resonator cannot effectively suppress vibration and harvest energy at the same time.     

双稳态系统中随机共振和相干共振的相关性

研究了加性噪声和乘性噪声共同驱动的双稳态系统中的随机共振和相干共振现象. 针对加性噪声和乘性噪声之间不存在关联性和存在关联性两种情形, 引入一种适当的能同时表征随机共振和相干共振的指标, 应用一阶欧拉方法, 通过数值模拟对系统的随机共振和相干共振现象进行研究. 结果表明在弱噪声驱动下, 随着加性噪声强度的增加, 当系统出现相干共振时, 如果给系统外加一个弱周期驱动力, 几乎在同一时刻, 系统也出现了随机共振现象; 但随着乘性噪声强度的增加, 仅当加性噪声和乘性噪声之间相关时, 此结论成立. 并且系统参数对相干共振和随机共振的影响是一致的. 关键词： 双稳态系统 随机共振 相干共振     

交联聚丙烯压电驻极体的压电性能及振动能量采集研究

以电子束辐照交联聚丙烯(IXPP)泡沫薄板为原材料, 首先利用热压工艺对微观结构进行改性, 然后采用电晕充电方法对样品实施极化处理, 使之具有压电效应, 成为压电驻极体. 通过准静态和动态压电系数d₃₃、复电容谱, 以及等温衰减的测量, 研究了IXPP压电驻极体膜的机电耦合性能; 同时考察了基于IXPP压电驻极体膜的振动能量采集器在{3-3}模式下对环境振动能的俘获. 结果表明, IXPP压电驻极体的准静态压电系数d₃₃可高达620 pC/N; 厚度方向的杨氏模量和品质因数(FOM, d₃₃·g₃₃)分别是0.7 MPa和11.2 GPa^-1; 在50, 70和90℃下进行等温老化, 经过24 h后, IXPP压电驻极体膜的准静态压电系数d₃₃分别降低到初始值的54%, 43%和29%; 采用面积为3.14 cm²的IXPP压电驻极体膜为换能元件, 当振子质量为25.6 g, 振动频率为820 Hz时, 振动能量采集器在匹配负载附近可以输出高达65 μW/g²的功率.