Nonlinear structural dynamics of a new sliding-mode triboelectric energy harvester with multistability

A new sliding-mode triboelectric energy harvester in the form of a cantilever beam with a tip mass that is acted upon by both magnetic and friction forces is modelled and simulated. A numerical scheme based on the trapezoidal rule with the second-order backward difference formula (TR-BDF2) method is introduced to solve the combined non-smooth mechanical and stiff electrical system. This is the first study of the structural dynamics of the sliding-mode triboelectric energy harvesting; additionally, a magnetic field that induces multistability is present. A comparison between the coupled and uncoupled electromechanical models suggests that the electrostatic force between the electrodes can be ignored, which makes the uncoupled model preferable in the dynamical analysis. The influence of the non-conservative force (the friction force) on the multistability of the system is investigated. It is found that the distribution of the multistability on the parametric plane changes even when a small amount of friction is involved, and the areas of bistability and tristability shrink while that of the monostability expands. A comparison among these three types of stability reveals the superiority of invoking bistability as it facilitates broadband energy harvesting. The excitation level plays an important role in inducing the snap-through motion (the interwell oscillation) by enabling the crossing of the energy barriers between wells. The increase in the friction shrinks the frequency band of interwell oscillations from high frequencies down to low frequencies on the discrete frequency sweep. An analysis of the basins of attraction finds that at low frequencies the bistable system can undergo only interwell oscillations, while the tristable system can merely experience intrawell oscillations. The basins can intermingle with each other in both bistable and tristable systems. Finally, an increase in the excitation level can break the basins into discrete pieces and/or points.