Acoustic metamaterials capable of both sound insulation and energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Junfei; Zhou, Xiaoming; Huang, Guoliang; Hu, Gengkai

2016-04-01

Membrane-type acoustic metamaterials are well known for low-frequency sound insulation. In this work, by introducing a flexible piezoelectric patch, we propose sound-insulation metamaterials with the ability of energy harvesting from sound waves. The dual functionality of the metamaterial device has been verified by experimental results, which show an over 20 dB sound transmission loss and a maximum energy conversion efficiency up to 15.3% simultaneously. This novel property makes the metamaterial device more suitable for noise control applications.

Note: High-efficiency broadband acoustic energy harvesting using Helmholtz resonator and dual piezoelectric cantilever beams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, Aichao; Li, Ping, E-mail: liping@cqu.edu.cn; Wen, Yumei

2014-06-15

A high-efficiency broadband acoustic energy harvester consisting of a compliant-top-plate Helmholtz resonator (HR) and dual piezoelectric cantilever beams is proposed. Due to the high mechanical quality factor of beams and the strong multimode coupling of HR cavity, top plate and beams, the high efficiency in a broad bandwidth is obtained. Experiment exhibits that the proposed harvester at 170–206 Hz has 28–188 times higher efficiency than the conventional harvester using a HR with a piezoelectric composite diaphragm. For input acoustic pressure of 2.0 Pa, the proposed harvester exhibits 0.137–1.43 mW output power corresponding to 0.035–0.36 μW cm{sup −3} volume power density atmore » 170–206 Hz.« less

Simultaneous Vibration Suppression and Energy Harvesting

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-15

D.J., 2011. “Modeling and Analysis of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting from Aeroelastic Vibrations Using the Doublet-Lattice Method,” ASME Journal...Friswell, M. I., and Inman, D. J., 2009, “ Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting from Broadband Random Vibrations ,” Smart Materials and Structures, Vol. 18...and Electrode Configuration on Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting from Cantilevered Beams,” ASME Journal of Vibration and Acoustics, Vol. 131, No. 1, pp

Ultrathin, rollable, paper-based triboelectric nanogenerator for acoustic energy harvesting and self-powered sound recording.

PubMed

Fan, Xing; Chen, Jun; Yang, Jin; Bai, Peng; Li, Zhaoling; Wang, Zhong Lin

2015-04-28

A 125 μm thickness, rollable, paper-based triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has been developed for harvesting sound wave energy, which is capable of delivering a maximum power density of 121 mW/m(2) and 968 W/m(3) under a sound pressure of 117 dBSPL. The TENG is designed in the contact-separation mode using membranes that have rationally designed holes at one side. The TENG can be implemented onto a commercial cell phone for acoustic energy harvesting from human talking; the electricity generated can be used to charge a capacitor at a rate of 0.144 V/s. Additionally, owing to the superior advantages of a broad working bandwidth, thin structure, and flexibility, a self-powered microphone for sound recording with rolled structure is demonstrated for all-sound recording without an angular dependence. The concept and design presented in this work can be extensively applied to a variety of other circumstances for either energy-harvesting or sensing purposes, for example, wearable and flexible electronics, military surveillance, jet engine noise reduction, low-cost implantable human ear, and wireless technology applications.

Principles of thermoacoustic energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avent, A. W.; Bowen, C. R.

2015-11-01

Thermoacoustics exploit a temperature gradient to produce powerful acoustic pressure waves. The technology has a key role to play in energy harvesting systems. A time-line in the development of thermoacoustics is presented from its earliest recorded example in glass blowing through to the development of the Sondhauss and Rijke tubes to Stirling engines and pulse-tube cryo-cooling. The review sets the current literature in context, identifies key publications and promising areas of research. The fundamental principles of thermoacoustic phenomena are explained; design challenges and factors influencing efficiency are explored. Thermoacoustic processes involve complex multi-physical coupling and transient, highly non-linear relationships which are computationally expensive to model; appropriate numerical modelling techniques and options for analyses are presented. Potential methods of harvesting the energy in the acoustic waves are also examined.

The significance of temperature dependence on the piezoelectric energy harvesting by using a phononic crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aly, Arafa H.; Nagaty, Ahmed; Khalifa, Zaki; Mehaney, Ahmed

2018-05-01

In this study, an acoustic energy harvester based on a two-dimensional phononic crystal has been constructed. The present structure consists of silicon cylinders in the air background with a polyvinylidene fluoride cylinder as a defect to confine the acoustic energy. The presented energy harvester depends on the piezoelectric effect (using the piezoelectric material polyvinylidene fluoride) that converts the confined acoustic energy to electric energy. The maximum output voltage obtained equals 170 mV. Moreover, the results revealed that the output voltage can be increased with increasing temperature. In addition, the effects of the load resistance and the geometry of the piezoelectric material on the output voltage have been studied theoretically. Based on these results, all previous studies about energy harvesting in phononic structures must take temperature effects into account.

High-performance Sonitopia (Sonic Utopia): Hyper intelligent Material-based Architectural Systems for Acoustic Energy Harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heidari, F.; Mahdavinejad, M.

2017-08-01

The rate of energy consumption in all over the world, based on reliable statistics of international institutions such as the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows significant increase in energy demand in recent years. Periodical recorded data shows a continuous increasing trend in energy consumption especially in developed countries as well as recently emerged developing economies such as China and India. While air pollution and water contamination as results of high consumption of fossil energy resources might be consider as menace to civic ideals such as livability, conviviality and people-oriented cities. In other hand, automobile dependency, cars oriented design and other noisy activities in urban spaces consider as threats to urban life. Thus contemporary urban design and planning concentrates on rethinking about ecology of sound, reorganizing the soundscape of neighborhoods, redesigning the sonic order of urban space. It seems that contemporary architecture and planning trends through soundscape mapping look for sonitopia (Sonic + Utopia) This paper is to propose some interactive hyper intelligent material-based architectural systems for acoustic energy harvesting. The proposed architectural design system may be result in high-performance architecture and planning strategies for future cities. The ultimate aim of research is to develop a comprehensive system for acoustic energy harvesting which cover the aim of noise reduction as well as being in harmony with architectural design. The research methodology is based on a literature review as well as experimental and quasi-experimental strategies according the paradigm of designedly ways of doing and knowing. While architectural design has solution-focused essence in problem-solving process, the proposed systems had better be hyper intelligent rather than predefined procedures. Therefore, the steps of the inference mechanism of the research include: 1- understanding sonic energy and noise potentials as energy

Metamaterials-based enhanced energy harvesting: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhongsheng; Guo, Bin; Yang, Yongmin; Cheng, Congcong

2014-04-01

Advances in low power design open the possibility to harvest ambient energies to power directly the electronics or recharge a secondary battery. The key parameter of an energy harvesting (EH) device is its efficiency, which strongly depends on the conversion medium. To address this issue, metamaterials, artificial materials and structures with exotic properties, have been introduced for EH in recent years. They possess unique properties not easily achieved using naturally occurring materials, such as negative stiffness, mass, Poisson's ratio, and refractive index. The goal of this paper is to review the fundamentals, recent progresses and future directions in the field of metamaterials-based enhanced energy harvesting. An introduction on EH followed by the classification of potential metamaterials for EH is presented. A number of theoretical and experimental studies on metamaterials-based EH are outlined, including phononic crystals, acoustic metamaterials, and electromagnetic metamaterials. Finally, we give an outlook on future directions of metamaterials-based energy harvesting research including but not limited to active metamaterials-based EH, metamaterials-based thermal EH, and metamaterials-based multifunctional EH capabilities.

A review on energy harvesting approaches for renewable energies from ambient vibrations and acoustic waves using piezoelectricity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Riaz; Mir, Fariha; Banerjee, Sourav

2017-08-01

The principal objective of this article is to categorically review and compare the state of the art vibration based energy harvesting approaches. To evaluate the contemporary methodologies with respect to their physics, average power output and operational frequencies, systematically divided and easy readable tables are presented followed by the description of the energy harvesting methods. Energy harvesting is the process of obtaining electrical energy from the surrounding vibratory mechanical systems through an energy conversion method using smart structures, like, piezoelectric, electrostatic materials. Recent advancements in low power electronic gadgets, micro electro mechanical systems, and wireless sensors have significantly increased local power demand. In order to circumvent the energy demand; to allow limitless power supply, and to avoid chemical waste from conventional batteries, low power local energy harvesters are proposed for harvesting energy from different ambient energy sources. Piezoelectric materials have received tremendous interest in energy harvesting technology due to its unique ability to capitalize the ambient vibrations to generate electric potential. Their crystalline configuration allows the material to convert mechanical strain energy into electrical potential, and vice versa. This article discusses the various approaches in vibration based energy scavenging where piezoelectric materials are employed as the energy conversion medium.

Simultaneous backward data transmission and power harvesting in an ultrasonic transcutaneous energy transfer link employing acoustically dependent electric impedance modulation.

PubMed

Ozeri, Shaul; Shmilovitz, Doron

2014-09-01

The advancement and miniaturization of body implanted medical devices pose several challenges to Ultrasonic Transcutaneous Energy Transfer (UTET), such as the need to reduce the size of the piezoelectric resonator, and the need to maximize the UTET link power-transfer efficiency. Accordingly, the same piezoelectric resonator that is used for energy harvesting at the body implant, may also be used for ultrasonic backward data transfer, for instance, through impedance modulation. This paper presents physical considerations and design guidelines of the body implanted transducer of a UTET link with impedance modulation for a backward data transfer. The acoustic matching design procedure was based on the 2×2 transfer matrix chain analysis, in addition to the Krimholtz Leedom and Matthaei KLM transmission line model. The UTET power transfer was carried out at a frequency of 765 kHz, continuous wave (CW) mode. The backward data transfer was attained by inserting a 9% load resistance variation around its matched value (550 Ohm), resulting in a 12% increase in the acoustic reflection coefficient. A backward data transmission rate of 1200 bits/s was experimentally demonstrated using amplitude shift keying, simultaneously with an acoustic power transfer of 20 mW to the implant. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Broadband pendulum energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Changwei; Wu, You; Zuo, Lei

2016-09-01

A novel electromagnetic pendulum energy harvester with mechanical motion rectifier (MMR) is proposed and investigated in this paper. MMR is a mechanism which rectifies the bidirectional swing motion of the pendulum into unidirectional rotation of the generator by using two one-way clutches in the gear system. In this paper, two prototypes of pendulum energy harvester with MMR and without MMR are designed and fabricated. The dynamic model of the proposed MMR pendulum energy harvester is established by considering the engagement and disengagement of the one way clutches. The simulation results show that the proposed MMR pendulum energy harvester has a larger output power at high frequencies comparing with non-MMR pendulum energy harvester which benefits from the disengagement of one-way clutch during pendulum vibration. Moreover, the proposed MMR pendulum energy harvester is broadband compare with non-MMR pendulum energy harvester, especially when the equivalent inertia is large. An experiment is also conducted to compare the energy harvesting performance of these two prototypes. A flywheel is attached at the end of the generator to make the disengagement more significant. The experiment results also verify that MMR pendulum energy harvester is broadband and has a larger output power at high frequency over the non-MMR pendulum energy harvester.

Acoustic sensors using microstructures tunable with energy other than acoustic energy

DOEpatents

Datskos, Panagiotis G.

2003-11-25

A sensor for detecting acoustic energy includes a microstructure tuned to a predetermined acoustic frequency and a device for detecting movement of the microstructure. A display device is operatively linked to the movement detecting device. When acoustic energy strikes the acoustic sensor, acoustic energy having a predetermined frequency moves the microstructure, where the movement is detected by the movement detecting device.

Acoustic sensors using microstructures tunable with energy other than acoustic energy

DOEpatents

Datskos, Panagiotis G.

2005-06-07

A sensor for detecting acoustic energy includes a microstructure tuned to a predetermined acoustic frequency and a device for detecting movement of the microstructure. A display device is operatively linked to the movement detecting device. When acoustic energy strikes the acoustic sensor, acoustic energy having a predetermined frequency moves the microstructure, where the movement is detected by the movement detecting device.

Acoustic noise and pneumatic wave vortices energy harvesting on highways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pogacian, S.; Bot, A.; Zotoiu, D.

2012-02-01

This paper is aimed to present the structure and the principle of a energy harvesting system that uses the air movement emanated from passing traffic to produce and accumulate electrical energy. Each of the system's elements consists of a inertial mass panel which oscillate when driving cars pass. The panel is attached to a linear electromagnetic mini generator (or/and some piezo electric micro generators) and at the time of passing, it produces energy which is store it in a supercapacitor or in a rechargeable battery. The concept can be applied to busy roads, and to high-frequented rail networks and it can work with street and road lighting, information panels and monitoring devices.

Development of Techniques to Investigate Sonoluminescence as a Source of Energy Harvesting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wrbanek, John D.; Fralick, Gustave C.; Wrbanek, Susan Y.

2007-01-01

Instrumentation techniques are being developed at NASA Glenn Research Center to measure optical, radiation, and thermal properties of the phenomena of sonoluminescence, the light generated using acoustic cavitation. Initial efforts have been directed to the generation of the effect and the imaging of the glow in water and solvents. Several images have been produced of the effect showing the location within containers, without the additions of light enhancers to the liquid. Evidence of high energy generation in the modification of thin films from sonoluminescence in heavy water was seen that was not seen in light water. Bright, localized sonoluminescence was generated using glycerin for possible applications to energy harvesting. Issues to be resolved for an energy harvesting concept will be addressed.

Nonlinear energy harvesting.

PubMed

Cottone, F; Vocca, H; Gammaitoni, L

2009-02-27

Ambient energy harvesting has been in recent years the recurring object of a number of research efforts aimed at providing an autonomous solution to the powering of small-scale electronic mobile devices. Among the different solutions, vibration energy harvesting has played a major role due to the almost universal presence of mechanical vibrations. Here we propose a new method based on the exploitation of the dynamical features of stochastic nonlinear oscillators. Such a method is shown to outperform standard linear oscillators and to overcome some of the most severe limitations of present approaches. We demonstrate the superior performances of this method by applying it to piezoelectric energy harvesting from ambient vibration.

Magnetoelectric Energy Harvesting

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-20

materials to rotating or moving machinery , make it difficult to locate piezoelectric material devices in contact with the mechanical stress generator which...mechanical energy harvesting device and more particularly relates to such a device that has a magnetostrictive and piezoelectric component. (2...makes them a candidate as the active material in energy harvesting devices. By utilizing the direct piezoelectric (or pyroelectric) effect when

Electrochemically driven mechanical energy harvesting.

PubMed

Kim, Sangtae; Choi, Soon Ju; Zhao, Kejie; Yang, Hui; Gobbi, Giorgia; Zhang, Sulin; Li, Ju

2016-01-06

Efficient mechanical energy harvesters enable various wearable devices and auxiliary energy supply. Here we report a novel class of mechanical energy harvesters via stress-voltage coupling in electrochemically alloyed electrodes. The device consists of two identical Li-alloyed Si as electrodes, separated by electrolyte-soaked polymer membranes. Bending-induced asymmetric stresses generate chemical potential difference, driving lithium ion flux from the compressed to the tensed electrode to generate electrical current. Removing the bending reverses ion flux and electrical current. Our thermodynamic analysis reveals that the ideal energy-harvesting efficiency of this device is dictated by the Poisson's ratio of the electrodes. For the thin-film-based energy harvester used in this study, the device has achieved a generating capacity of 15%. The device demonstrates a practical use of stress-composition-voltage coupling in electrochemically active alloys to harvest low-grade mechanical energies from various low-frequency motions, such as everyday human activities.

Electrochemically driven mechanical energy harvesting

PubMed Central

Kim, Sangtae; Choi, Soon Ju; Zhao, Kejie; Yang, Hui; Gobbi, Giorgia; Zhang, Sulin; Li, Ju

2016-01-01

Efficient mechanical energy harvesters enable various wearable devices and auxiliary energy supply. Here we report a novel class of mechanical energy harvesters via stress–voltage coupling in electrochemically alloyed electrodes. The device consists of two identical Li-alloyed Si as electrodes, separated by electrolyte-soaked polymer membranes. Bending-induced asymmetric stresses generate chemical potential difference, driving lithium ion flux from the compressed to the tensed electrode to generate electrical current. Removing the bending reverses ion flux and electrical current. Our thermodynamic analysis reveals that the ideal energy-harvesting efficiency of this device is dictated by the Poisson's ratio of the electrodes. For the thin-film-based energy harvester used in this study, the device has achieved a generating capacity of 15%. The device demonstrates a practical use of stress-composition–voltage coupling in electrochemically active alloys to harvest low-grade mechanical energies from various low-frequency motions, such as everyday human activities. PMID:26733282

Energy harvesting efficiency of piezoelectric polymer film with graphene and metal electrodes.

PubMed

Park, Sanghoon; Kim, Yura; Jung, Hyosub; Park, Jun-Young; Lee, Naesung; Seo, Yongho

2017-12-11

In this study, we investigated an energy harvesting effect of tensile stress using piezoelectric polymers and flexible electrodes. A chemical-vapor-deposition grown graphene film was transferred onto both sides of the PVDF and P(VDF-TrFE) films simultaneously by means of a conventional wet chemical method. Output voltage induced by sound waves was measured and analyzed when a mechanical tension was applied to the device. Another energy harvester was made with a metallic electrode, where Al and Ag were deposited by using an electron-beam evaporator. When acoustic vibrations (105 dB) were applied to the graphene/PVDF/graphene device, an induced voltage of 7.6 V pp was measured with a tensile stress of 1.75 MPa, and this was increased up to 9.1 V pp with a stress of 2.18 MPa for the metal/P(VDF-TrFE)/metal device. The 9 metal/PVDF/metal layers were stacked as an energy harvester, and tension was applied by using springs. Also, we fabricated a full-wave rectifying circuit to store the electrical energy in a 100 μF capacitor, and external vibration generated the electrical charges. As a result, the stored voltage at the capacitor, obtained from the harvester via a bridge diode rectifier, was saturated to ~7.04 V after 180 s charging time.

Review of magnetostrictive vibration energy harvesters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Zhangxian; Dapino, Marcelo J.

2017-10-01

The field of energy harvesting has grown concurrently with the rapid development of portable and wireless electronics in which reliable and long-lasting power sources are required. Electrochemical batteries have a limited lifespan and require periodic recharging. In contrast, vibration energy harvesters can supply uninterrupted power by scavenging useful electrical energy from ambient structural vibrations. This article reviews the current state of vibration energy harvesters based on magnetostrictive materials, especially Terfenol-D and Galfenol. Existing magnetostrictive harvester designs are compared in terms of various performance metrics. Advanced techniques that can reduce device size and improve performance are presented. Models for magnetostrictive devices are summarized to guide future harvester designs.

Double synchronized switch harvesting (DSSH): a new energy harvesting scheme for efficient energy extraction.

PubMed

Lallart, Mickaël; Garbuio, Lauric; Petit, Lionel; Richard, Claude; Guyomar, Daniel

2008-10-01

This paper presents a new technique for optimized energy harvesting using piezoelectric microgenerators called double synchronized switch harvesting (DSSH). This technique consists of a nonlinear treatment of the output voltage of the piezoelectric element. It also integrates an intermediate switching stage that ensures an optimal harvested power whatever the load connected to the microgenerator. Theoretical developments are presented considering either constant vibration magnitude, constant driving force, or independent extraction. Then experimental measurements are carried out to validate the theoretical predictions. This technique exhibits a constant output power for a wide range of load connected to the microgenerator. In addition, the extracted power obtained using such a technique allows a gain up to 500% in terms of maximal power output compared with the standard energy harvesting method. It is also shown that such a technique allows a fine-tuning of the trade-off between vibration damping and energy harvesting.

Harvesting wood for energy.

Treesearch

Rodger A. Arola; Edwin W. Miyata

1981-01-01

Illustrates the potential of harvesting wood for industrial energy, based on the results of five harvesting studies. Presents information on harvesting operations, equipment costs, and productivity. Discusses mechanized thinning of hardwoods, clearcutting of low-value stands and recovery of hardwood tops and limbs. Also includes basic information on the physical and...

Energy harvesting from sea waves with consideration of airy and JONSWAP theory and optimization of energy harvester parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirab, Hadi; Fathi, Reza; Jahangiri, Vahid; Ettefagh, Mir Mohammad; Hassannejad, Reza

2015-12-01

One of the new methods for powering low-power electronic devices at sea is a wave energy harvesting system. In this method, piezoelectric material is employed to convert the mechanical energy of sea waves into electrical energy. The advantage of this method is based on avoiding a battery charging system. Studies have been done on energy harvesting from sea waves, however, considering energy harvesting with random JONSWAP wave theory, then determining the optimum values of energy harvested is new. This paper does that by implementing the JONSWAP wave model, calculating produced power, and realistically showing that output power is decreased in comparison with the more simple airy wave model. In addition, parameters of the energy harvester system are optimized using a simulated annealing algorithm, yielding increased produced power.

Investigation of geometric design in piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems diaphragms for ultrasonic energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Qiongfeng; Wang, Tao; Kobayashi, Takeshi; Lee, Chengkuo

2016-05-01

Acoustic energy transfer (AET) has been widely used for contactless energy delivery to implantable devices. However, most of the energy harvesters (ultrasonic receivers) for AET are macro-scale transducers with large volume and limited operation bandwidth. Here, we propose and investigate two microelectromechanical systems diaphragm based piezoelectric ultrasonic energy harvesters (PUEHs) as an alternative for AET. The proposed PUEHs consist of micro-scale diaphragm array with different geometric parameter design. Diaphragms in PUEH-1 have large length to width ratio to achieve broadband property, while its energy harvesting performance is compromised. Diaphragms in PUEH-2 have smaller length to width ratio and thinner thickness to achieve both broadband property and good energy harvesting performance. Both PUEHs have miniaturized size and wide operation bandwidth that are ideally suitable to be integrated as power source for implantable biomedical devices. PUEH-1 has a merged -6 dB bandwidth of 74.5% with a central frequency of 350 kHz. PUEH-2 has two separate -6 dB bandwidth of 73.7%/30.8% with central frequencies of 285 kHz/650 kHz. They can adapt to various ultrasonic sources with different working frequency spectrum. Maximum output power is 34.3 nW and 84.3 nW for PUEH-1 and PUEH-2 at 1 mW/cm2 ultrasound intensity input, respectively. The associated power density is 0.734 μW/cm2 and 4.1 μW/cm2, respectively. Better energy harvesting performance is achieved for PUEH-2 because of the optimized length to width ratio and thickness design. Both PUEHs offer more alignment flexibility with more than 40% power when they are in the range of the ultrasound transmitter.

Analog self-powered harvester achieving switching pause control to increase harvested energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makihara, Kanjuro; Asahina, Kei

2017-05-01

In this paper, we propose a self-powered analog controller circuit to increase the efficiency of electrical energy harvesting from vibrational energy using piezoelectric materials. Although the existing synchronized switch harvesting on inductor (SSHI) method is designed to produce efficient harvesting, its switching operation generates a vibration-suppression effect that reduces the harvested levels of electrical energy. To solve this problem, the authors proposed—in a previous paper—a switching method that takes this vibration-suppression effect into account. This method temporarily pauses the switching operation, allowing the recovery of the mechanical displacement and, therefore, of the piezoelectric voltage. In this paper, we propose a self-powered analog circuit to implement this switching control method. Self-powered vibration harvesting is achieved in this study by attaching a newly designed circuit to an existing analog controller for SSHI. This circuit aims to effectively implement the aforementioned new switching control strategy, where switching is paused in some vibration peaks, in order to allow motion recovery and a consequent increase in the harvested energy. Harvesting experiments performed using the proposed circuit reveal that the proposed method can increase the energy stored in the storage capacitor by a factor of 8.5 relative to the conventional SSHI circuit. This proposed technique is useful to increase the harvested energy especially for piezoelectric systems having large coupling factor.

Triboelectric effect in energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Logothetis, I.; Vassiliadis, S.; Siores, E.

2017-10-01

With the development of wearable technology, much research has been undertaken in the field of flexible and stretchable electronics for use in interactive attire. The challenging problem wearable technology faces is the ability to provide energy whilst keeping the endproduct comfortable, light, ergonomic and nonintrusive. Energy harvesting, or energy scavenging as it is also known, is the process by which ambient energy is captured and converted into electric energy. The triboelectric effect converts mechanical energy into electrical energy based on the coupling effect of triboelectrification and electrostatic induction and is utilized as the basis for triboelectric generators (TEG). TEG’s are promising for energy harvesting due their high output power and efficiency in conjunction with simple and economical production. Due to the wide availability of materials and ease of integration, in order to produce the triboelectric effect such functional materials are effective for wearable energy harvesting systems. Flexible TEG’s can be built and embedded into attire, although a thorough understanding of the underlying principle of how TEG’s operate needs to be comprehended for the development and in incorporation in smart technical textiles. This paper presents results associated with TEG’S and discusses their suitability for energy harvesting in textiles structures.

Energy harvesting for dielectric elastomer sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Iain A.; Illenberger, Patrin; O'Brien, Ben M.

2016-04-01

Soft and stretchy dielectric elastomer (DE) sensors can measure large strains on robotic devices and people. DE strain measurement requires electric energy to run the sensors. Energy is also required for information processing and telemetering of data to phone or computer. Batteries are expensive and recharging is inconvenient. One solution is to harvest energy from the strains that the sensor is exposed to. For this to work the harvester must also be wearable, soft, unobtrusive and profitable from the energy perspective; with more energy harvested than used for strain measurement. A promising way forward is to use the DE sensor as its own energy harvester. Our study indicates that it is feasible for a basic DE sensor to provide its own power to drive its own sensing signal. However telemetry and computation that are additional to this will require substantially more power than the sensing circuit. A strategy would involve keeping the number of Bluetooth data chirps low during the entire period of energy harvesting and to limit transmission to a fraction of the total time spent harvesting energy. There is much still to do to balance the energy budget. This will be a challenge but when we succeed it will open the door to autonomous DE multi-sensor systems without the requirement for battery recharge.

Energy harvesting: small scale energy production from ambient sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeatman, Eric M.

2009-03-01

Energy harvesting - the collection of otherwise unexploited energy in the local environment - is attracting increasing attention for the powering of electronic devices. While the power levels that can be reached are typically modest (microwatts to milliwatts), the key motivation is to avoid the need for battery replacement or recharging in portable or inaccessible devices. Wireless sensor networks are a particularly important application: the availability of essentially maintenance free sensor nodes, as enabled by energy harvesting, will greatly increase the feasibility of large scale networks, in the paradigm often known as pervasive sensing. Such pervasive sensing networks, used to monitor buildings, structures, outdoor environments or the human body, offer significant benefits for large scale energy efficiency, health and safety, and many other areas. Sources of energy for harvesting include light, temperature differences, and ambient motion, and a wide range of miniature energy harvesters based on these sources have been proposed or demonstrated. This paper reviews the principles and practice in miniature energy harvesters, and discusses trends, suitable applications, and possible future developments.

Energy harvesting for self-powered aerostructure actuation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryant, Matthew; Pizzonia, Matthew; Mehallow, Michael; Garcia, Ephrahim

2014-04-01

This paper proposes and experimentally investigates applying piezoelectric energy harvesting devices driven by flow induced vibrations to create self-powered actuation of aerostructure surfaces such as tabs, flaps, spoilers, or morphing devices. Recently, we have investigated flow-induced vibrations and limit cycle oscillations due to aeroelastic flutter phenomena in piezoelectric structures as a mechanism to harvest energy from an ambient fluid flow. We will describe how our experimental investigations in a wind tunnel have demonstrated that this harvested energy can be stored and used on-demand to actuate a control surface such as a trailing edge flap in the airflow. This actuated control surface could take the form of a separate and discrete actuated flap, or could constitute rotating or deflecting the oscillating energy harvester itself to produce a non-zero mean angle of attack. Such a rotation of the energy harvester and the associated change in aerodynamic force is shown to influence the operating wind speed range of the device, its limit cycle oscillation (LCO) amplitude, and its harvested power output; hence creating a coupling between the device's performance as an energy harvester and as a control surface. Finally, the induced changes in the lift, pitching moment, and drag acting on a wing model are quantified and compared for a control surface equipped with an oscillating energy harvester and a traditional, static control surface of the same geometry. The results show that when operated in small amplitude LCO the energy harvester adds negligible aerodynamic drag.

Harvesting Vibrational Energy Using Material Work Functions

PubMed Central

Varpula, Aapo; Laakso, Sampo J.; Havia, Tahvo; Kyynäräinen, Jukka; Prunnila, Mika

2014-01-01

Vibration energy harvesters scavenge energy from mechanical vibrations to energise low power electronic devices. In this work, we report on vibration energy harvesting scheme based on the charging phenomenon occurring naturally between two bodies with different work functions. Such work function energy harvester (WFEH) is similar to electrostatic energy harvester with the fundamental distinction that neither external power supplies nor electrets are needed. A theoretical model and description of different operation modes of WFEHs are presented. The WFEH concept is tested with macroscopic experiments, which agree well with the model. The feasibility of miniaturizing WFEHs is shown by simulating a realistic MEMS device. The WFEH can be operated as a charge pump that pushes charge and energy into an energy storage element. We show that such an operation mode is highly desirable for applications and that it can be realised with either a charge shuttle or with switches. The WFEH is shown to give equal or better output power in comparison to traditional electrostatic harvesters. Our findings indicate that WFEH has great potential in energy harvesting applications. PMID:25348004

Energy harvesting devices for harvesting energy from terahertz electromagnetic radiation

DOEpatents

Novack, Steven D.; Kotter, Dale K.; Pinhero, Patrick J.

2012-10-09

Methods, devices and systems for harvesting energy from electromagnetic radiation are provided including harvesting energy from electromagnetic radiation. In one embodiment, a device includes a substrate and one or more resonance elements disposed in or on the substrate. The resonance elements are configured to have a resonant frequency, for example, in at least one of the infrared, near-infrared and visible light spectra. A layer of conductive material may be disposed over a portion of the substrate to form a ground plane. An optical resonance gap or stand-off layer may be formed between the resonance elements and the ground plane. The optical resonance gap extends a distance between the resonance elements and the layer of conductive material approximately one-quarter wavelength of a wavelength of the at least one resonance element's resonant frequency. At least one energy transfer element may be associated with the at least one resonance element.

Hybrid energy storage system for wireless sensor node powered by aircraft specific thermoelectric energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thangaraj, K.; Elefsiniotis, A.; Aslam, S.; Becker, Th.; Schmid, U.; Lees, J.; Featherston, C. A.; Pullin, R.

2013-05-01

This paper describes an approach for efficiently storing the energy harvested from a thermoelectric module for powering autonomous wireless sensor nodes for aeronautical health monitoring applications. A representative temperature difference was created across a thermo electric generator (TEG) by attaching a thermal mass and a cavity containing a phase change material to one side, and a heat source (to represent the aircraft fuselage) to the other. Batteries and supercapacitors are popular choices of storage device, but neither represents the ideal solution; supercapacitors have a lower energy density than batteries and batteries have lower power density than supercapacitors. When using only a battery for storage, the runtime of a typical sensor node is typically reduced by internal impedance, high resistance and other internal losses. Supercapacitors may overcome some of these problems, but generally do not provide sufficient long-term energy to allow advanced health monitoring applications to operate over extended periods. A hybrid energy storage unit can provide both energy and power density to the wireless sensor node simultaneously. Techniques such as acoustic-ultrasonic, acoustic-emission, strain, crack wire sensor and window wireless shading require storage approaches that can provide immediate energy on demand, usually in short, high intensity bursts, and that can be sustained over long periods of time. This application requirement is considered as a significant constraint when working with battery-only and supercapacitor-only solutions and they should be able to store up-to 40-50J of energy.

Hybrid piezoelectric energy harvesting transducer system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, Tian-Bing (Inventor); Jiang, Xiaoning (Inventor); Su, Ji (Inventor); Rehrig, Paul W. (Inventor); Hackenberger, Wesley S. (Inventor)

2008-01-01

A hybrid piezoelectric energy harvesting transducer system includes: (a) first and second symmetric, pre-curved piezoelectric elements mounted separately on a frame so that their concave major surfaces are positioned opposite to each other; and (b) a linear piezoelectric element mounted separately on the frame and positioned between the pre-curved piezoelectric elements. The pre-curved piezoelectric elements and the linear piezoelectric element are spaced from one another and communicate with energy harvesting circuitry having contact points on the frame. The hybrid piezoelectric energy harvesting transducer system has a higher electromechanical energy conversion efficiency than any known piezoelectric transducer.

Experimental measurement of energy harvesting with backpack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavelkova, Radka; Vala, David; Suranek, Pavel; Mahdal, Miroslav

2017-08-01

This article deals with the energy harvesting systems, especially the energy harvesting backpack, which appears as a convenient means for energy harvesting for mobile sensors power. Before starting the experiment, it was necessary to verify whether this energy will be sufficient to get acquainted with the human kinematics and analyze problematics itself. For this purpose there was used motion capture technology from Xsens. Measured data on the position of a particle moving man and back when walking, these data were then used for experimental realization of energy harvesting backpack and as input data to the simulation in Simulink, which brought us a comparison between theoretical assumptions and practical implementation. When measuring characteristics of energy harvesting system we have a problem with measurements on backpack solved when redoing of the hydraulic cylinder as a source of a suitable movement corresponding to the amplitude and frequency of human walk.

Flexible Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting from Mouse Click Motions

PubMed Central

Cha, Youngsu; Hong, Jin; Lee, Jaemin; Park, Jung-Min; Kim, Keehoon

2016-01-01

In this paper, we study energy harvesting from the mouse click motions of a robot finger and a human index finger using a piezoelectric material. The feasibility of energy harvesting from mouse click motions is experimentally and theoretically assessed. The fingers wear a glove with a pocket for including the piezoelectric material. We model the energy harvesting system through the inverse kinematic framework of parallel joints in a finger and the electromechanical coupling equations of the piezoelectric material. The model is validated through energy harvesting experiments in the robot and human fingers with the systematically varying load resistance. We find that energy harvesting is maximized at the matched load resistance to the impedance of the piezoelectric material, and the harvested energy level is tens of nJ. PMID:27399705

Energy harvesting devices for harvesting energy from terahertz electromagnetic radiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Novack, Steven D.; Kotter, Dale K.; Pinhero, Patrick J.

2012-10-09

Methods, devices and systems for harvesting energy from electromagnetic radiation are provided including harvesting energy from electromagnetic radiation. In one embodiment, a device includes a substrate and one or more resonance elements disposed in or on the substrate. The resonance elements are configured to have a resonant frequency, for example, in at least one of the infrared, near-infrared and visible light spectra. A layer of conductive material may be disposed over a portion of the substrate to form a ground plane. An optical resonance gap or stand-off layer may be formed between the resonance elements and the ground plane. Themore » optical resonance gap extends a distance between the resonance elements and the layer of conductive material approximately one-quarter wavelength of a wavelength of the at least one resonance element's resonant frequency. At least one energy transfer element may be associated with the at least one resonance element.« less

Enhanced energy harvesting in commercial ferroelectric materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, Satyanarayan; Chauhan, Aditya; Vaish, Rahul

2014-04-01

Ferroelectric materials are used in a number of applications ranging from simple sensors and actuators to ferroelectric random access memories (FRAMs), transducers, health monitoring system and microelectronics. The multiphysical coupling ability possessed by these materials has been established to be useful for energy harvesting applications. However, conventional energy harvesting techniques employing ferroelectric materials possess low energy density. This has prevented the successful commercialization of ferroelectric based energy harvesting systems. In this context, the present study aims at proposing a novel approach for enhanced energy harvesting using commercially available ferroelectric materials. This technique was simulated to be used for two commercially available piezoelectric materials namely PKI-552 and APCI-840, soft and hard lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) pervoskite ceramics, respectively. It was observed that a maximum energy density of 348 kJm-3cycle-1 can be obtained for cycle parameters of (0-1 ton compressive stress and 1-25 kV.cm-1 electric field) using APCI-840. The reported energy density is several hundred times larger than the maximum energy density reported in the literature for vibration harvesting systems.

Modelling of cantilever based on piezoelectric energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahim, N. F.; Ong, N. R.; Aziz, M. H. A.; Alcain, J. B.; Haimi, W. M. W. N.; Sauli, Z.

2017-09-01

Recent technology allows devices to become smaller and with more functions. However, the battery size remained the same and for some devices, the battery must be larger in order to accommodate the greater power demands by the portable device. Piezoelectric energy harvester has been suggested as a substitute for the batteries in coming future. In this paper, a cantilever based piezoelectric energy harvester was modelled and simulated using COMSOL software. The analysis focused on the mechanical part of the harvesting system such as output power, output voltage and vibration frequency. Results of the simulations proved that flexible piezoelectric energy harvesters using nano-materials had remarkable strength under the large strain. However, although the large strain was induced on the flexible energy harvesters, the output power was still lower than the bulk and MEMS piezoelectric energy harvesters that operated at the resonance frequency. The off-resonance operation and very lower packing density of the active piezoelectric materials of the flexible energy harvesters resulted in a low output power.

Method and apparatus for generating acoustic energy

DOEpatents

Guerrero, Hector N.

2002-01-01

A method and apparatus for generating and emitting amplified coherent acoustic energy. A cylindrical transducer is mounted within a housing, the transducer having an acoustically open end and an acoustically closed end. The interior of the transducer is filled with an active medium which may include scattering nuclei. Excitation of the transducer produces radially directed acoustic energy in the active medium, which is converted by the dimensions of the transducer, the acoustically closed end thereof, and the scattering nuclei, to amplified coherent acoustic energy directed longitudinally within the transducer. The energy is emitted through the acoustically open end of the transducer. The emitted energy can be used for, among other things, effecting a chemical reaction or removing scale from the interior walls of containment vessels.

Fluid Flow Nozzle Energy Harvesters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherrit, Stewart; Lee, Hyeong Jae; Walkenmeyer, Phillip; Winn, Tyler; Tosi, Luis Phillipe; Colonius, Tim

2015-01-01

Power generation schemes that could be used downhole in an oil well to produce about 1 Watt average power with long-life (decades) are actively being developed. A variety of proposed energy harvesting schemes could be used to extract energy from this environment but each of these has their own limitations that limit their practical use. Since vibrating piezoelectric structures are solid state and can be driven below their fatigue limit, harvesters based on these structures are capable of operating for very long lifetimes (decades); thereby, possibly overcoming a principle limitation of existing technology based on rotating turbo-machinery. An initial survey identified that spline nozzle configurations can be used to excite a vibrating piezoelectric structure in such a way as to convert the abundant flow energy into useful amounts of electrical power. This paper presents current flow energy harvesting designs and experimental results of specific spline nozzle/ bimorph design configurations which have generated suitable power per nozzle at or above well production analogous flow rates. Theoretical models for non-dimensional analysis and constitutive electromechanical model are also presented in this paper to optimize the flow harvesting system.

Fluid flow nozzle energy harvesters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherrit, Stewart; Lee, Hyeong Jae; Walkemeyer, Phillip; Winn, Tyler; Tosi, Luis Phillipe; Colonius, Tim

2015-04-01

Power generation schemes that could be used downhole in an oil well to produce about 1 Watt average power with long-life (decades) are actively being developed. A variety of proposed energy harvesting schemes could be used to extract energy from this environment but each of these has their own limitations that limit their practical use. Since vibrating piezoelectric structures are solid state and can be driven below their fatigue limit, harvesters based on these structures are capable of operating for very long lifetimes (decades); thereby, possibly overcoming a principle limitation of existing technology based on rotating turbo-machinery. An initial survey [1] identified that spline nozzle configurations can be used to excite a vibrating piezoelectric structure in such a way as to convert the abundant flow energy into useful amounts of electrical power. This paper presents current flow energy harvesting designs and experimental results of specific spline nozzle/ bimorph design configurations which have generated suitable power per nozzle at or above well production analogous flow rates. Theoretical models for non-dimensional analysis and constitutive electromechanical model are also presented in this paper to optimize the flow harvesting system.

Nonlinear Interactions for Broadband Energy Harvesting

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-22

harvesting ,” Journal of Sound and Vibration , V. 331, No. 4, pp. 922– 937. 12. Sah, S.M., Mann, B.P., 2012, “Potential well metamorphosis of a pivoting...Nonlinear non- conservative behavior and modeling of piezoelectric energy harvesters including proof mass effects,” Journal of Intelligent Material...Experimental investigation of a post-buckled piezoelectric beam with an attached central mass used to harvest energy,” Journal of Sys- tems and Control

Acoustic energy in ducts - Further observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eversman, W.

1979-01-01

The transmission of acoustic energy in uniform ducts carrying uniform flow is investigated with the purpose of clarifying two points of interest. The two commonly used definitions of acoustic 'energy' flux are shown to be related by a Legendre transformation of the Lagrangian density exactly as in deriving the Hamiltonian density in mechanics. In the acoustic case the total energy density and the Hamiltonian density are not the same which accounts for two different 'energy' fluxes. When the duct has acoustically absorptive walls neither of the two flux expressions gives correct results. A reevaluation of the basis of derivation of the energy density and energy flux provides forms which yield consistent results for soft walled ducts.

Hybrid energy harvesting/transmission system for embedded devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hehr, Adam; Park, Gyuhae; Farinholt, Kevin

2012-04-01

In most energy harvesting applications the need for a reliable long-term energy supply is essential in powering embedded sensing and control electronics. The goal of many harvesters is to extract energy from the ambient environment to power hardware; however in some applications there may be conditions in which the harvester's performance cannot meet all of the demands of the embedded electronics. One method for addressing this shortfall is to supplement harvested power through the transmission of wireless energy, a concept that has successfully been demonstrated by the authors in previous studies. In this paper we present our findings on the use of a single electromagnetic coil to harvest kinetic energy in a solenoid configuration, as well as background and directed wireless energy in the 2.4 GHz radio frequency (RF) bands commonly used in WiFi and cellular phone applications. The motivation for this study is to develop a compact energy harvester / receiver that conserves physical volume, while providing multi-modal energy harvesting capabilities. As with most hybrid systems there are performance trade-offs that must be considered when capturing energy from different physical sources. As part of this paper, many of the issues related to power transmission, physical design, and potential applications are addressed for this device.

Flexible hybrid energy cell for simultaneously harvesting thermal, mechanical, and solar energies.

PubMed

Yang, Ya; Zhang, Hulin; Zhu, Guang; Lee, Sangmin; Lin, Zong-Hong; Wang, Zhong Lin

2013-01-22

We report the first flexible hybrid energy cell that is capable of simultaneously or individually harvesting thermal, mechanical, and solar energies to power some electronic devices. For having both the pyroelectric and piezoelectric properties, a polarized poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) film-based nanogenerator (NG) was used to harvest thermal and mechanical energies. Using aligned ZnO nanowire arrays grown on the flexible polyester (PET) substrate, a ZnO-poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) heterojunction solar cell was designed for harvesting solar energy. By integrating the NGs and the solar cells, a hybrid energy cell was fabricated to simultaneously harvest three different types of energies. With the use of a Li-ion battery as the energy storage, the harvested energy can drive four red light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

An energy harvesting type ultrasonic motor.

PubMed

Wang, Guangqing; Xu, Wentan; Gao, Shuaishuai; Yang, Binqiang; Lu, Guoli

2017-03-01

An energy harvesting type ultrasonic motor is presented in this work. The novel motor not only can drive and/or position the motion mechanism, but also can harvest and convert the vibration-induced energy of the stator into electric energy to power small electronic devices. In the new motor, the stator is a sandwich structure of two PZT rings and an elastic metal body. The PZT ring bonded on the bottom surface is used to excite the stator metal body to generate a traveling wave with converse piezoelectric effect, and the other PZT ring bonded on top surface is used to harvest and convert the vibration-induced energy of the stator into electric energy with direct piezoelectric effect. Finite element method is adopted to analyze the vibration characteristics and the energetic characteristic. After the fabrication of a prototype, the mechanical output and electric energy output abilities are measured. The maximum no-load speed and maximum output torque of the prototype are 117rpm and 0.65Nm at an exciting voltage with amplitude of 134 V p-p and frequency of 40kHz, and the maximum harvesting output power of per sector area of the harvesting PZT is 327mW under an optimal equivalent load resistance of 6.9kΩ. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

MEMS electromagnetic energy harvesters with multiple resonances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelatury, Sudarshan R.; Gray, Robert

2014-06-01

There is going on a flurry of research activity in the development of effcient energy harvesters from all branches of energy conversion. The need for developing self-powered wireless sensors and actuators to be employed in unmanned combat vehicles also seems to grow steadily. These vehicles are inducted into perilous war zones for silent watch missions. Energy management is sometimes carried out using misson-aware energy expenditure strategies. Also, when there is a requirement for constant monitoring of events, the sensors and the subsystems of combat vehicles require energy harvesters that can operate over a discrete set of spot frequencies. This paper attempts to review some of the recent techniques and the energy harvesting devices based on electromagnetic and electromechanical principles. In particular, we shall discuss the design and performance of a MEMS-harvester that exhibits multiple resonances. Frequency response of a simulated electromagnetic harvester is plotted. It has three dominant peaks at three different resonant frequencies. Variation in the load power in the normalized units as a function of load is found, which determines the matched load resistance.

Potential Ambient Energy-Harvesting Sources and Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yildiz, Faruk

2009-01-01

Ambient energy harvesting is also known as energy scavenging or power harvesting, and it is the process where energy is obtained from the environment. A variety of techniques are available for energy scavenging, including solar and wind powers, ocean waves, piezoelectricity, thermoelectricity, and physical motions. For example, some systems…

Piezoelectric energy harvester under parquet floor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bischur, E.; Schwesinger, N.

2011-03-01

The design, fabrication and testing of piezoelectric energy harvesting modules for floors is described. These modules are used beneath a parquet floor to harvest the energy of people walking over it. The harvesting modules consist of monoaxial stretched PVDF-foils. Multilayer modules are built up as roller-type capacitors. The fabrication process of the harvesting modules is simple and very suitable for mass production. Due to the use of organic polymers, the modules are characterized by a great flexibility and the possibility to create them in almost any geometrical size. The energy yield was determined depending on the dynamic loading force, the thickness of piezoelectric active material, the size of the piezoelectric modules, their alignment in the walking direction and their position on the floor. An increase of the energy yield at higher loading forces and higher thicknesses of the modules was observed. It was possible to generate up to 2.1mWs of electric energy with dynamic loads of 70kg using a specific module design. Furthermore a test floor was assembled to determine the influence of the size, alignment and position of the modules on the energy yield.

Piezoelectric energy harvesting computer controlled test bench

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vázquez-Rodriguez, M.; Jiménez, F. J.; de Frutos, J.; Alonso, D.

2016-09-01

In this paper a new computer controlled (C.C.) laboratory test bench is presented. The patented test bench is made up of a C.C. road traffic simulator, C.C. electronic hardware involved in automating measurements, and test bench control software interface programmed in LabVIEW™. Our research is focused on characterizing electronic energy harvesting piezoelectric-based elements in road traffic environments to extract (or "harvest") maximum power. In mechanical to electrical energy conversion, mechanical impacts or vibrational behavior are commonly used, and several major problems need to be solved to perform optimal harvesting systems including, but no limited to, primary energy source modeling, energy conversion, and energy storage. It is described a novel C.C. test bench that obtains, in an accurate and automatized process, a generalized linear equivalent electrical model of piezoelectric elements and piezoelectric based energy store harvesting circuits in order to scale energy generation with multiple devices integrated in different topologies.

Piezoelectric energy harvesting computer controlled test bench.

PubMed

Vázquez-Rodriguez, M; Jiménez, F J; de Frutos, J; Alonso, D

2016-09-01

In this paper a new computer controlled (C.C.) laboratory test bench is presented. The patented test bench is made up of a C.C. road traffic simulator, C.C. electronic hardware involved in automating measurements, and test bench control software interface programmed in LabVIEW™. Our research is focused on characterizing electronic energy harvesting piezoelectric-based elements in road traffic environments to extract (or "harvest") maximum power. In mechanical to electrical energy conversion, mechanical impacts or vibrational behavior are commonly used, and several major problems need to be solved to perform optimal harvesting systems including, but no limited to, primary energy source modeling, energy conversion, and energy storage. It is described a novel C.C. test bench that obtains, in an accurate and automatized process, a generalized linear equivalent electrical model of piezoelectric elements and piezoelectric based energy store harvesting circuits in order to scale energy generation with multiple devices integrated in different topologies.

Statistical-QoS Guaranteed Energy Efficiency Optimization for Energy Harvesting Wireless Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Gao, Ya; Cheng, Wenchi; Zhang, Hailin

2017-08-23

Energy harvesting, which offers a never-ending energy supply, has emerged as a prominent technology to prolong the lifetime and reduce costs for the battery-powered wireless sensor networks. However, how to improve the energy efficiency while guaranteeing the quality of service (QoS) for energy harvesting based wireless sensor networks is still an open problem. In this paper, we develop statistical delay-bounded QoS-driven power control policies to maximize the effective energy efficiency (EEE), which is defined as the spectrum efficiency under given specified QoS constraints per unit harvested energy, for energy harvesting based wireless sensor networks. For the battery-infinite wireless sensor networks, our developed QoS-driven power control policy converges to the Energy harvesting Water Filling (E-WF) scheme and the Energy harvesting Channel Inversion (E-CI) scheme under the very loose and stringent QoS constraints, respectively. For the battery-finite wireless sensor networks, our developed QoS-driven power control policy becomes the Truncated energy harvesting Water Filling (T-WF) scheme and the Truncated energy harvesting Channel Inversion (T-CI) scheme under the very loose and stringent QoS constraints, respectively. Furthermore, we evaluate the outage probabilities to theoretically analyze the performance of our developed QoS-driven power control policies. The obtained numerical results validate our analysis and show that our developed optimal power control policies can optimize the EEE over energy harvesting based wireless sensor networks.

Statistical-QoS Guaranteed Energy Efficiency Optimization for Energy Harvesting Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Cheng, Wenchi; Zhang, Hailin

2017-01-01

Energy harvesting, which offers a never-ending energy supply, has emerged as a prominent technology to prolong the lifetime and reduce costs for the battery-powered wireless sensor networks. However, how to improve the energy efficiency while guaranteeing the quality of service (QoS) for energy harvesting based wireless sensor networks is still an open problem. In this paper, we develop statistical delay-bounded QoS-driven power control policies to maximize the effective energy efficiency (EEE), which is defined as the spectrum efficiency under given specified QoS constraints per unit harvested energy, for energy harvesting based wireless sensor networks. For the battery-infinite wireless sensor networks, our developed QoS-driven power control policy converges to the Energy harvesting Water Filling (E-WF) scheme and the Energy harvesting Channel Inversion (E-CI) scheme under the very loose and stringent QoS constraints, respectively. For the battery-finite wireless sensor networks, our developed QoS-driven power control policy becomes the Truncated energy harvesting Water Filling (T-WF) scheme and the Truncated energy harvesting Channel Inversion (T-CI) scheme under the very loose and stringent QoS constraints, respectively. Furthermore, we evaluate the outage probabilities to theoretically analyze the performance of our developed QoS-driven power control policies. The obtained numerical results validate our analysis and show that our developed optimal power control policies can optimize the EEE over energy harvesting based wireless sensor networks. PMID:28832509

MEMS for vibration energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lin; Zhang, Yangjian; San, Haisheng; Guo, Yinbiao; Chen, Xuyuan

2008-03-01

In this paper, a capacitive vibration-to-electrical energy harvester was designed. An integrated process flow for fabricating the designed capacitive harvester is presented. For overcoming the disadvantage of depending on external power source in capacitive energy harvester, two parallel electrodes with different work functions are used as the two electrodes of the capacitor to generate a build-in voltage for initially charging the capacitor. The device is a sandwich structure of silicon layer in two glass layers with area of about 1 cm2. The silicon structure is fabricated by using silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. The glass wafers are anodic bonded on to both sides of the SOI wafer to create a vacuum sealed package.

A Galloping Energy Harvester with Attached Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denissenko, Petr; Khovanov, Igor; Tucker-Harvey, Sam

2017-11-01

Aeroelastic energy harvesters are a promising technology for the operation of wireless sensors and microelectromechanical systems, as well as providing the possibility of harvesting wind energy in applications were conventional wind turbines are ineffective, such as in highly turbulent flows, or unreliable, such as in harsh environmental conditions. The development of aeroelastic energy harvesters to date has focused on the flutter of airfoils, the galloping of prismatic structures, and the vortex induced vibrations. We present a novel type of galloping energy harvester with the flow becoming attached when the oscillation amplitude is high enough. With the flow attached, the harvester blade acts closer to an aerofoil than a bluff body, which results in a higher efficiency. The dynamics of a prototype device has been characterised experimentally with the use of a motion tracking system. The flow structure in the vicinity of the device has been studied using smoke visualisation and PIV measurements. A lumped parameter mathematical model has been developed and related to the experimental results.

Low-frequency meandering piezoelectric vibration energy harvester.

PubMed

Berdy, David F; Srisungsitthisunti, Pornsak; Jung, Byunghoo; Xu, Xianfan; Rhoads, Jeffrey F; Peroulis, Dimitrios

2012-05-01

The design, fabrication, and characterization of a novel low-frequency meandering piezoelectric vibration energy harvester is presented. The energy harvester is designed for sensor node applications where the node targets a width-to-length aspect ratio close to 1:1 while simultaneously achieving a low resonant frequency. The measured power output and normalized power density are 118 μW and 5.02 μW/mm(3)/g(2), respectively, when excited by an acceleration magnitude of 0.2 g at 49.7 Hz. The energy harvester consists of a laser-machined meandering PZT bimorph. Two methods, strain-matched electrode (SME) and strain-matched polarization (SMP), are utilized to mitigate the voltage cancellation caused by having both positive and negative strains in the piezoelectric layer during operation at the meander's first resonant frequency. We have performed finite element analysis and experimentally demonstrated a prototype harvester with a footprint of 27 x 23 mm and a height of 6.5 mm including the tip mass. The device achieves a low resonant frequency while maintaining a form factor suitable for sensor node applications. The meandering design enables energy harvesters to harvest energy from vibration sources with frequencies less than 100 Hz within a compact footprint.

Vibrational energy harvesting by exploring structural benefits and nonlinear characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Chongfeng; Jing, Xingjian

2017-07-01

Traditional energy harvesters are often of low efficiency due to very limited energy harvesting bandwidth, which should also be enough close to the ambient excitation frequency. To overcome this difficulty, some attempts can be seen in the literature typically with the purposes of either increasing the energy harvesting bandwidth with a harvester array, or enhancing the energy harvesting bandwidth and peak with nonlinear coupling effect etc. This paper presents an alternative way which can achieve tuneable resonant frequency (from high frequency to ultralow frequency) and improved energy harvesting bandwidth and peak simultaneously by employing special structural benefits and advantageous displacement-dependent nonlinear damping property. The proposed energy harvesting system employs a lever systems combined with an X-shape supporting structure and demonstrates very adjustable stiffness and unique nonlinear damping characteristics which are very beneficial for energy harvesting. It is shown that the energy harvesting performance of the proposed system is directly determined by several easy-to-tune structural parameters and also by the relative displacement in a special nonlinear manner, which provides a great flexibility and/or a unique tool for tuning and improving energy harvesting efficiency via matching excitation frequencies and covering a broader frequency band. This study potentially provides a new insight into the design of energy harvesting systems by employing structural benefits and geometrical nonlinearities.

Endocardial Energy Harvesting by Electromagnetic Induction.

PubMed

Zurbuchen, Adrian; Haeberlin, Andreas; Bereuter, Lukas; Pfenniger, Alois; Bosshard, Simon; Kernen, Micha; Philipp Heinisch, Paul; Fuhrer, Juerg; Vogel, Rolf

2018-02-01

cardiac pacemakers require regular medical follow-ups to ensure proper functioning. However, device replacements due to battery depletion are common and account for ∼25% of all implantation procedures. Furthermore, conventional pacemakers require pacemaker leads which are prone to fractures, dislocations or isolation defects. The ensuing surgical interventions increase risks for the patients and costs that need to be avoided. in this study, we present a method to harvest energy from endocardial heart motions. We developed a novel generator, which converts the heart's mechanical into electrical energy by electromagnetic induction. A mathematical model has been introduced to identify design parameters strongly related to the energy conversion efficiency of heart motions and fit the geometrical constraints for a miniaturized transcatheter deployable device. The implemented final design was tested on the bench and in vivo. the mathematical model proved an accurate method to estimate the harvested energy. For three previously recorded heart motions, the model predicted a mean output power of 14.5, 41.9, and 16.9 μW. During an animal experiment, the implanted device harvested a mean output power of 0.78 and 1.7 μW at a heart rate of 84 and 160 bpm, respectively. harvesting kinetic energy from endocardial motions seems feasible. Implanted at an energetically favorable location, such systems might become a welcome alternative to extend the lifetime of cardiac implantable electronic device. the presented endocardial energy harvesting concept has the potential to turn pacemakers into battery- and leadless systems and thereby eliminate two major drawbacks of contemporary systems.

Energy harvesting from low frequency applications using piezoelectric materials

DOE PAGES

Li, Huidong; Tian, Chuan; Deng, Z. Daniel

2014-11-06

This paper reviewed the state of research on piezoelectric energy harvesters. Various types of harvester configurations, piezoelectric materials, and techniques used to improve the mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion efficiency were discussed. Most of the piezoelectric energy harvesters studied today have focused on scavenging mechanical energy from vibration sources due to their abundance in both natural and industrial environments. Cantilever beams have been the most studied structure for piezoelectric energy harvester to date because of the high responsiveness to small vibrations.

Nanoscale piezoelectric vibration energy harvester design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foruzande, Hamid Reza; Hajnayeb, Ali; Yaghootian, Amin

2017-09-01

Development of new nanoscale devices has increased the demand for new types of small-scale energy resources such as ambient vibrations energy harvesters. Among the vibration energy harvesters, piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) can be easily miniaturized and fabricated in micro and nano scales. This change in the dimensions of a PEH leads to a change in its governing equations of motion, and consequently, the predicted harvested energy comparing to a macroscale PEH. In this research, effects of small scale dimensions on the nonlinear vibration and harvested voltage of a nanoscale PEH is studied. The PEH is modeled as a cantilever piezoelectric bimorph nanobeam with a tip mass, using the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory in conjunction with Hamilton's principle. A harmonic base excitation is applied as a model of the ambient vibrations. The nonlocal elasticity theory is used to consider the size effects in the developed model. The derived equations of motion are discretized using the assumed-modes method and solved using the method of multiple scales. Sensitivity analysis for the effect of different parameters of the system in addition to size effects is conducted. The results show the significance of nonlocal elasticity theory in the prediction of system dynamic nonlinear behavior. It is also observed that neglecting the size effects results in lower estimates of the PEH vibration amplitudes. The results pave the way for designing new nanoscale sensors in addition to PEHs.

Models for 31-Mode PVDF Energy Harvester for Wearable Applications

PubMed Central

Zhao, Jingjing; You, Zheng

2014-01-01

Currently, wearable electronics are increasingly widely used, leading to an increasing need of portable power supply. As a clean and renewable power source, piezoelectric energy harvester can transfer mechanical energy into electric energy directly, and the energy harvester based on polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) operating in 31-mode is appropriate to harvest energy from human motion. This paper established a series of theoretical models to predict the performance of 31-mode PVDF energy harvester. Among them, the energy storage one can predict the collected energy accurately during the operation of the harvester. Based on theoretical study and experiments investigation, two approaches to improve the energy harvesting performance have been found. Furthermore, experiment results demonstrate the high accuracies of the models, which are better than 95%. PMID:25114981

Energy harvesting for human wearable and implantable bio-sensors.

PubMed

Mitcheson, Paul D

2010-01-01

There are clear trade-offs between functionality, battery lifetime and battery volume for wearable and implantable wireless-biosensors which energy harvesting devices may be able to overcome. Reliable energy harvesting has now become a reality for machine condition monitoring and is finding applications in chemical process plants, refineries and water treatment works. However, practical miniature devices that can harvest sufficient energy from the human body to power a wireless bio-sensor are still in their infancy. This paper reviews the options for human energy harvesting in order to determine power availability for harvester-powered body sensor networks. The main competing technologies for energy harvesting from the human body are inertial kinetic energy harvesting devices and thermoelectric devices. These devices are advantageous to some other types as they can be hermetically sealed. In this paper the fundamental limit to the power output of these devices is compared as a function of generator volume when attached to a human whilst walking and running. It is shown that the kinetic energy devices have the highest fundamental power limits in both cases. However, when a comparison is made between the devices using device effectivenesses figures from previously demonstrated prototypes presented in the literature, the thermal device is competitive with the kinetic energy harvesting device when the subject is running and achieves the highest power density when the subject is walking.

Experimental evaluation of a cruciform piezoelectric energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuruta, Karina M.; Rade, Domingos A.; Finzi Neto, Roberto M.; Cavalini, Aldemir A.

2016-10-01

This paper describes the development and experimental evaluation of a particular type of piezoelectric energy harvester, composed of four aluminum cantilever blades to which piezoelectric patches are bonded, in such way that electric energy is generated when the blades undergo bending vibrations. Concentrated masses, whose values can be varied, are attached to the tips of the blades. Due to the geometric shape of the harvester, in which the four blades are oriented forming right angles, the harvester is named cruciform. As opposed to the large majority of previous works on the subject, in which harvesters are excited at their bases by prescribed acceleration, herein the harvester is connected to a vibrating structure excited by an imbalance force. Hence, the amount of harvested energy depends upon the dynamic interaction between the harvester and the host structure. Laboratory experiments were carried-out on a prototype connected to a tridimensional truss. The experimental setup includes a force generator consisting of an imbalanced disc driven by an electrical motor whose rotation is controlled electronically, a voltage rectifier circuit, and a battery charged with the harvested energy. After characterization of the dynamic behavior of the harvester and the host structure, both numerically and experimentally, the results of experiments are presented and discussed in terms of the voltage output of the piezoelectric transducers as function of the excitation frequency and the values of the tip masses. Also, the capacity of the harvester to charge a Lithium battery is evaluated.

Energy Harvesting Research: The Road from Single Source to Multisource.

PubMed

Bai, Yang; Jantunen, Heli; Juuti, Jari

2018-06-07

Energy harvesting technology may be considered an ultimate solution to replace batteries and provide a long-term power supply for wireless sensor networks. Looking back into its research history, individual energy harvesters for the conversion of single energy sources into electricity are developed first, followed by hybrid counterparts designed for use with multiple energy sources. Very recently, the concept of a truly multisource energy harvester built from only a single piece of material as the energy conversion component is proposed. This review, from the aspect of materials and device configurations, explains in detail a wide scope to give an overview of energy harvesting research. It covers single-source devices including solar, thermal, kinetic and other types of energy harvesters, hybrid energy harvesting configurations for both single and multiple energy sources and single material, and multisource energy harvesters. It also includes the energy conversion principles of photovoltaic, electromagnetic, piezoelectric, triboelectric, electrostatic, electrostrictive, thermoelectric, pyroelectric, magnetostrictive, and dielectric devices. This is one of the most comprehensive reviews conducted to date, focusing on the entire energy harvesting research scene and providing a guide to seeking deeper and more specific research references and resources from every corner of the scientific community. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Triple Hybrid Energy Harvesting Interface Electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uluşan, H.; Chamanian, S.; Pathirana, W. M. P. R.; Zorlu, Ö.; Muhtaroğlu, A.; Külah, H.

2016-11-01

This study presents a novel triple hybrid system that combines simultaneously generated power from thermoelectric (TE), vibration-based electromagnetic (EM) and piezoelectric (PZT) harvesters for a relatively high power supply capability. In the proposed solution each harvesting source utilizes a distinct power management circuit that generates a DC voltage suitable for combining the three parallel supplies. The circuits are designed and implemented in 180 nm standard CMOS technology, and are terminated with a schottky diode to avoid reverse current flow. The harvested AC signal from the EM harvester is rectified with a self-powered AC-DC doubler, which utilizes active diode structures to minimize the forward- bias voltage drop. The PZT interface electronics utilizes a negative voltage converter as the first stage, followed by synchronous power extraction and DC-to-DC conversion through internal switches, and an external inductor. The ultra-low voltage DC power harvested by the TE generator is stepped up through a charge-pump driven by an LC oscillator with fully- integrated center-tapped differential inductors. Test results indicate that hybrid energy harvesting circuit provides more than 1 V output for load resistances higher than 100 kΩ (10 μW) where the stand-alone harvesting circuits are not able to reach 1 V output. This is the first hybrid harvester circuit that simultaneously extracts energy from three independent sources, and delivers a single DC output.

Energy-driven scheduling algorithm for nanosatellite energy harvesting maximization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slongo, L. K.; Martínez, S. V.; Eiterer, B. V. B.; Pereira, T. G.; Bezerra, E. A.; Paiva, K. V.

2018-06-01

The number of tasks that a satellite may execute in orbit is strongly related to the amount of energy its Electrical Power System (EPS) is able to harvest and to store. The manner the stored energy is distributed within the satellite has also a great impact on the CubeSat's overall efficiency. Most CubeSat's EPS do not prioritize energy constraints in their formulation. Unlike that, this work proposes an innovative energy-driven scheduling algorithm based on energy harvesting maximization policy. The energy harvesting circuit is mathematically modeled and the solar panel I-V curves are presented for different temperature and irradiance levels. Considering the models and simulations, the scheduling algorithm is designed to keep solar panels working close to their maximum power point by triggering tasks in the appropriate form. Tasks execution affects battery voltage, which is coupled to the solar panels through a protection circuit. A software based Perturb and Observe strategy allows defining the tasks to be triggered. The scheduling algorithm is tested in FloripaSat, which is an 1U CubeSat. A test apparatus is proposed to emulate solar irradiance variation, considering the satellite movement around the Earth. Tests have been conducted to show that the scheduling algorithm improves the CubeSat energy harvesting capability by 4.48% in a three orbit experiment and up to 8.46% in a single orbit cycle in comparison with the CubeSat operating without the scheduling algorithm.

Nonlinear pyroelectric energy harvesting from relaxor single crystals.

PubMed

Khodayari, Akram; Pruvost, Sebastien; Sebald, Gael; Guyomar, Daniel; Mohammadi, Saber

2009-04-01

Energy harvesting from temperature variations in a Pb(Zn(1/3)Nb(2/3))(0.955)Ti(0.045)O(3) single crystal was studied and evaluated using the Ericsson thermodynamic cycle. The efficiency of this cycle related to Carnot cycle is 100 times higher than direct pyroelectric energy harvesting, and it can be as high as 5.5% for a 10 degrees C temperature variation and 2 kV/mm electric field. The amount of harvested energy for a 60 degrees C temperature variation and 2 kV/mm electric field is 242.7 mJ x cm(-3). The influence of ferroelectric phase transitions on the energy harvesting performance is discussed and illustrated with experimental results.

Modeling of a honeycomb-shaped pyroelectric energy harvester for human body heat harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Myoung-Soo; Jo, Sung-Eun; Ahn, Hye-Rin; Kim, Yong-Jun

2015-06-01

Pyroelectric conversion can be used for thermal energy harvesting in lieu of thermoelectric conversion. In the case of human body energy harvesting, the general pyroelectric energy harvester (PEH) cannot be applied because the weak body heat can hardly penetrate the protecting layer to reach the pyroelectric material. This paper presents the realization of a honeycomb-shaped PEH (H-PEH) and a modeling method of the electrode and hole areas. The fabricated H-PEH successfully generated electrical energy using human body heat. The H-PEH with a 1:1.5 electrode-and-hole area ratio showed the best performance. To verify the human energy harvesting, we evaluated the characteristics of conventional PEH and H-PEH when body heat was used as a heat source. The maximum power of the H-PEH was 0.06 and 0.16 μW at wind velocities of 2 and 4 m s-1, respectively. These output power values of the H-PEH were 200 and 224% larger than those of the PEH, respectively, according to the wind velocity.

A numerical study on flexoelectric bistable energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Anuruddh; Sharma, Anshul; Vaish, Rahul; Kumar, Rajeev; Jain, Satish Chandra

2018-07-01

A flexoelectric energy harvesting can be a viable solution of energy source for low power devices and sensors due to its higher performance at nano/micro domain size. Numerical study has been performed on energy harvester based on flexoelectric phenomenon of dielectric materials. Cantilever type structure was opted here as it induces the polarization due to the breaking of lattice symmetry upon bending. Host layer of cantilever is made of barium strontium titanate (BST) as it has high flexoelectric coefficient, and electrodes are attached with the host layer to collect the charges. In this study, nonlinearity has been introduced using pair of magnets at the free end of the cantilever. Characteristics of the harvester performance (linear-non-linear) changes by varying the distance between magnets. Results revealed that the bistable energy harvester gives more operating frequency range when excitation is random as compared to the linear energy harvester. For the given dimension of the harvester, when magnets distance d = 6 mm, effective harvesting frequency ranges are 5-17.3 and 17.6-26 Hz as compared to linear harvester. Further, role of load resistance was investigated to understand the impact on the performance. Hysteresis loop between voltage and displacement significantly varies with the resistance. This hysteresis loop confirmed the backward coupling of flexoelectric layer, in which voltage affects the displacement due to actuation. Area under the hysteresis loop is maximum for optimum resistance value (20.4 kΩ) which confirms the maximum extraction of power during vibration.

Water flow energy harvesters for autonomous flowmeters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boisseau, Sebastien; Duret, Alexandre-Benoit; Perez, Matthias; Jallas, Emmanuel; Jallas, Eric

2016-11-01

This paper reports on a water flow energy harvester exploiting a horizontal axis turbine with distributed magnets of alternate polarities at the rotor periphery and air coils outside the pipe. The energy harvester operates down to 1.2L/min with an inlet section of 20mm of diameter and up to 25.2mW are provided at 20L/min in a 2.4V NiMH battery through a BQ25504 power management circuit. The pressure loss induced by the insertion of the energy harvester in the hydraulic circuit and by the extraction of energy has been limited to 0.05bars at 30L/min, corresponding to a minor loss coefficient of KEH=3.94.

Self-tuning stochastic resonance energy harvester for smart tires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hongjip; Tai, Wei Che; Zuo, Lei

2018-03-01

Energy harvesting from smart tire has been an influential topic for researchers over several years. In this paper, we propose novel energy harvester for smart tire taking advantage of adaptive tuning stochastic resonance. Compared to previous tire energy harvesters, it can generate large power and has wide bandwidth. Large power is achieved by stochastic resonance while wide-bandwidth is accomplished by adaptive tuning via centrifugal stiffening effect. Energy harvesting configuration for modulated noise is described first. It is an electromagnetic energy harvester consists of rotating beam subject to centrifugal buckling. Equation of motion for energy harvester is derived to investigate the effect of centrifugal stiffening. Numerical analysis was conducted to simulate response. The result show that high power is achieved with wide bandwidth. To verify the theoretical and simulation results, the experiment was conducted. Equivalent horizontal rotating platform is built to mimic tire environment. Experiment results showed good agreement with the numerical result with around 10% of errors, which verified feasibility of proposed harvester. Maximum power 1.8mW is achieved from 3:1 scale experiment setup. The equivalent working range of harvester is around 60-105 km/h which is typical speed for car in general road and highway.

An integrated multi-source energy harvester based on vibration and magnetic field energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Zhengwen; Qiu, Jing; Wang, Xian; Gao, Yuan; Liu, Xin; Chang, Qijie; Long, Yibing; He, Xingduo

2018-05-01

In this paper, an integrated multi-source energy harvester (IMSEH) employing a special shaped cantilever beam and a piezoelectric transducer to convert vibration and magnetic field energy into electrical energy is presented. The electric output performance of the proposed IMSEH has been investigated. Compared to a traditional multi-source energy harvester (MSEH) or single source energy harvester (SSEH), the proposed IMSEH can simultaneously harvest vibration and magnetic field energy with an integrated structure and the electric output is greatly improved. When other conditions keep identical, the IMSEH can obtain high voltage of 12.8V. Remarkably, the proposed IMSEHs have great potential for its application in wireless sensor network.

Energy harvesting from low frequency applications using piezoelectric materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Huidong; Tian, Chuan; Deng, Z. Daniel, E-mail: zhiqun.deng@pnnl.gov

2014-12-15

In an effort to eliminate the replacement of the batteries of electronic devices that are difficult or impractical to service once deployed, harvesting energy from mechanical vibrations or impacts using piezoelectric materials has been researched over the last several decades. However, a majority of these applications have very low input frequencies. This presents a challenge for the researchers to optimize the energy output of piezoelectric energy harvesters, due to the relatively high elastic moduli of piezoelectric materials used to date. This paper reviews the current state of research on piezoelectric energy harvesting devices for low frequency (0–100 Hz) applications and themore » methods that have been developed to improve the power outputs of the piezoelectric energy harvesters. Various key aspects that contribute to the overall performance of a piezoelectric energy harvester are discussed, including geometries of the piezoelectric element, types of piezoelectric material used, techniques employed to match the resonance frequency of the piezoelectric element to input frequency of the host structure, and electronic circuits specifically designed for energy harvesters.« less

Engineered Nanomaterials for Energy Harvesting and Storage Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gullapalli, Hemtej

Energy harvesting and storage are independent mechanisms, each having their own significance in the energy cycle. Energy is generally harvested from temperature variations, mechanical vibrations and other phenomena which are inherently sporadic in nature, harvested energy stands a better chance of efficient utilization if it can be stored and used later, depending on the demand. In essence a comprehensive device that can harness power from surrounding environment and provide a steady and reliable source of energy would be ideal. Towards realizing such a system, for the harvesting component, a piezoelectric nano-composite material consisting of ZnO nanostructures embedded into the matrix of 'Paper' has been developed. Providing a flexible backbone to a brittle material makes it a robust architecture. Energy harvesting by scavenging both mechanical and thermal fluctuations using this flexible nano-composite is discussed in this thesis. On the energy storage front, Graphene based materials developed with a focus towards realizing ultra-thin lithium ion batteries and supercapacitors are introduced. Efforts for enhancing the energy storage performance of such graphitic carbon are detailed. Increasing the rate capability by direct CVD synthesis of graphene on current collectors, enhancing its electrochemical capacity through doping and engineering 3D metallic structures to increase the areal energy density have been studied.

Energy-harvesting at the Nanoscale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordan, Andrew; Sothmann, Björn; Sánchez, Rafael; Büttiker, Markus

2013-03-01

Energy harvesting is the process by which energy is taken from the environment and transformed to provide power for electronics. Specifically, the conversion of thermal energy into electrical power, or thermoelectrics, can play a crucial role in future developments of alternative sources of energy. Unfortunately, present thermoelectrics have low efficiency. Therefore, an important task in condensed matter physics is to find new ways to harvest ambient thermal energy, particularly at the smallest length scales where electronics operate. To achieve this goal, there is on one hand the miniaturizing of electrical devices, and on the other, the maximization of either efficiency or power the devices produce. We will present the theory of nano heat engines able to efficiently convert heat into electrical power. We propose a resonant tunneling quantum dot engine that can be operated either in the Carnot efficient mode, or maximal power mode. The ability to scale the power by putting many such engines in a ``Swiss cheese sandwich'' geometry gives a paradigmatic system for harvesting thermal energy at the nanoscale. This work was supported by the US NSF Grant No. DMR-0844899, the Swiss NSF, the NCCR MaNEP and QSIT, the European STREP project Nanopower, the CSIC and FSE JAE-Doc program, the Spanish MAT2011-24331 and the ITN Grant 234970 (EU)

Electrostrictive Polymers for Mechanical-to-Electrical Energy Harvesting

DTIC Science & Technology

usable electrical energy. Piezoelectric ceramic-based devices have long been used in energy harvesting for converting mechanical motion to electrical ...typically softer and more flexible, the translated electrical energy output is considerably higher under the same mechanical force. Currently...investigations in using electroactive polymers for energy harvesting, and mechanical-to- electrical energy conversion, are beginning to show potential for

A new piezoelectric energy harvesting design concept: multimodal energy harvesting skin.

PubMed

Lee, Soobum; Youn, Byeng D

2011-03-01

This paper presents an advanced design concept for a piezoelectric energy harvesting (EH), referred to as multimodal EH skin. This EH design facilitates the use of multimodal vibration and enhances power harvesting efficiency. The multimodal EH skin is an extension of our previous work, EH skin, which was an innovative design paradigm for a piezoelectric energy harvester: a vibrating skin structure and an additional thin piezoelectric layer in one device. A computational (finite element) model of the multilayered assembly - the vibrating skin structure and piezoelectric layer - is constructed and the optimal topology and/or shape of the piezoelectric layer is found for maximum power generation from multiple vibration modes. A design rationale for the multimodal EH skin was proposed: designing a piezoelectric material distribution and external resistors. In the material design step, the piezoelectric material is segmented by inflection lines from multiple vibration modes of interests to minimize voltage cancellation. The inflection lines are detected using the voltage phase. In the external resistor design step, the resistor values are found for each segment to maximize power output. The presented design concept, which can be applied to any engineering system with multimodal harmonic-vibrating skins, was applied to two case studies: an aircraft skin and a power transformer panel. The excellent performance of multimodal EH skin was demonstrated, showing larger power generation than EH skin without segmentation or unimodal EH skin.

Combined Euler column vibration isolation and energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, R. B.; McDowell, M. D.

2017-05-01

A new device that combines vibration isolation and energy harvesting is modeled, simulated, and tested. The vibration isolating portion of the device uses post-buckled beams as its spring elements. Piezoelectric film is applied to the beams to harvest energy from their dynamic flexure. The entire device operates passively on applied base excitation and requires no external power or control system. The structural system is modeled using the elastica, and the structural response is applied as forcing on the electric circuit equation to predict the output voltage and the corresponding harvested power. The vibration isolation and energy harvesting performance is simulated across a large parameter space and the modeling approach is validated with experimental results. Experimental transmissibilities of 2% and harvested power levels of 0.36 μW are simultaneously demonstrated. Both theoretical and experimental data suggest that there is not necessarily a trade-off between vibration isolation and harvested power. That is, within the practical operational range of the device, improved vibration isolation will be accompanied by an increase in the harvested power as the forcing frequency is increased.

Design optimization of PVDF-based piezoelectric energy harvesters.

PubMed

Song, Jundong; Zhao, Guanxing; Li, Bo; Wang, Jin

2017-09-01

Energy harvesting is a promising technology that powers the electronic devices via scavenging the ambient energy. Piezoelectric energy harvesters have attracted considerable interest for their high conversion efficiency and easy fabrication in minimized sensors and transducers. To improve the output capability of energy harvesters, properties of piezoelectric materials is an influential factor, but the potential of the material is less likely to be fully exploited without an optimized configuration. In this paper, an optimization strategy for PVDF-based cantilever-type energy harvesters is proposed to achieve the highest output power density with the given frequency and acceleration of the vibration source. It is shown that the maximum power output density only depends on the maximum allowable stress of the beam and the working frequency of the device, and these two factors can be obtained by adjusting the geometry of piezoelectric layers. The strategy is validated by coupled finite-element-circuit simulation and a practical device. The fabricated device within a volume of 13.1 mm 3 shows an output power of 112.8 μW which is comparable to that of the best-performing piezoceramic-based energy harvesters within the similar volume reported so far.

Ecological impacts of energy-wood harvests: lessons from whole-tree harvesting and natural disturbance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berger, Alaina L.; Palik, Brian; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Fraver, Shawn; Bradford, John B.; Nislow, Keith H.; King, David; Brooks, Robert T.

2013-01-01

Recent interest in using forest residues and small-diameter material for biofuels is generating a renewed focus on harvesting impacts and forest sustainability. The rich legacy of research from whole-tree harvesting studies can be examined in light of this interest. Although this research largely focused on consequences for forest productivity, in particular carbon and nutrient pools, it also has relevance for examining potential consequences for biodiversity and aquatic ecosystems. This review is framed within a context of contrasting ecosystem impacts from whole-tree harvesting because it represents a high level of biomass removal. Although whole-tree harvesting does not fully use the nonmerchantable biomass available, it indicates the likely direction and magnitude of impacts that can occur through energy-wood harvesting compared with less-intensive conventional harvesting and to dynamics associated with various natural disturbances. The intent of this comparison is to gauge the degree of departure of energy-wood harvesting from less intensive conventional harvesting. The review of the literature found a gradient of increasing departure in residual structural conditions that remained in the forest when conventional and whole-tree harvesting was compared with stand-replacing natural disturbance. Important stand- and landscape-level processes were related to these structural conditions. The consequence of this departure may be especially potent because future energy-wood harvests may more completely use a greater range of forest biomass at potentially shortened rotations, creating a great need for research that explores the largely unknown scale of disturbance that may apply to our forest ecosystems.

Acoustic energy exchange through flow turning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baum, Joseph D.

1987-01-01

A numerical investigation of the mechanisms of acoustic energy exchange between the mean and acoustic flow fields in resonance chambers, such as rocket engines, is reported. A noniterative linearized block implicit scheme was used to solve the time-dependent compressible Navier-Stokes equations. Two test cases were investigated: acoustic wave propagation in a tube with a coexisting sheared mean flow (the refraction test) and acoustic wave propagation in a tube where the mean sheared flow was injected into the tube through its lateral boundary (the flow turning study). For flow turning, significant excitation of mean flow energy was observed at two locations: at the edge of the acoustic boundary layer and within a zone adjacent to the acoustic boundary layer extending up to 0.1 radii away from the wall. A weaker streaming effect was observed for the refraction study, and only at the edge of the acoustic boundary layer. The total dissipation for the flow turning test was twice the dissipation for refraction.

Issues in vibration energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hui; Corr, Lawrence R.; Ma, Tianwei

2018-05-01

In this study, fundamental issues related to bandwidth and nonlinear resonance in vibrational energy harvesting devices are investigated. The results show that using bandwidth as a criterion to measure device performance can be misleading. For a linear device, an enlarged bandwidth is achieved at the cost of sacrificing device performance near resonance, and thus widening the bandwidth may offer benefits only when the natural frequency of the linear device cannot match the dominant excitation frequency. For a nonlinear device, since the principle of superposition does not apply, the ''broadband" performance improvements achieved for single-frequency excitations may not be achievable for multi-frequency excitations. It is also shown that a large-amplitude response based on the traditional ''nonlinear resonance" does not always result in the optimal performance for a nonlinear device because of the negative work done by the excitation, which indicates energy is returned back to the excitation. Such undesired negative work is eliminated at global resonance, a generalized resonant condition for both linear and nonlinear systems. While the linear resonance is a special case of global resonance for a single-frequency excitation, the maximum potential of nonlinear energy harvesting can be reached for multi-frequency excitations by using global resonance to simultaneously harvest energy distributed over multiple frequencies.

A knee-mounted biomechanical energy harvester with enhanced efficiency and safety

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chao; Chau, Li Yin; Liao, Wei-Hsin

2017-06-01

Energy harvesting is becoming a major limiting issue for many portable devices. When undertaking any activity, the human body generates a significant amount of biomechanical energy, which can be collected by means of a portable energy harvester. This energy provides a method of powering portable devices such as prosthetic limbs. In this paper, a knee-mounted energy harvester with enhanced efficiency and safety is proposed and developed to convert mechanical energy into electricity during human motion. This device can change the bi-directional knee input into uni-directional rotation for an electromagnetic generator using a specially designed transmission system. Without the constraint of induced impact on the human body, this device can harvest biomechanical energy from both knee flexion and extension, improving the harvesting efficiency over previous single-direction energy harvesters. It can also provide protection from device malfunction, and increase the safety of current biomechanical energy harvesters. A highly compact and light prototype is developed taking into account human kinematics. The biomechanical energy harvesting system is also modeled and analyzed. The prototype is tested under different conditions including walking, running and climbing stairs, to evaluate the energy harvesting performance and effect on the human gait. The experimental results show that the prototype can harvest an average power of 3.6 W at 1.5 m s-1 walking speed, which is promising for portable electronic devices.

A seesaw-type approach for enhancing nonlinear energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Huaxia; Wang, Zhemin; Du, Yu; Zhang, Jin; Ma, Mengchao; Zhong, Xiang

2018-05-01

Harvesting sustainable mechanical energy is the ultimate objective of nonlinear energy harvesters. However, overcoming potential barriers, especially without the use of extra excitations, poses a great challenge for the development of nonlinear generators. In contrast to the existing methods, which typically modify the barrier height or utilize additional excitations, this letter proposes a seesaw-type approach to facilitate escape from potential wells by transfer of internal energy, even under low-intensity excitation. This approach is adopted in the design of a seesaw-type nonlinear piezoelectric energy harvester and the energy transfer process is analyzed by deriving expressions for the energy to reveal the working mechanism. Comparison experiments demonstrate that this approach improves energy harvesting in terms of an increase in the working frequency bandwidth by a factor of 60.14 and an increase in the maximum output voltage by a factor of 5.1. Moreover, the output power is increased by a factor of 51.3, which indicates that this approach significantly improves energy collection efficiency. This seesaw-type approach provides a welcome boost to the development of renewable energy collection methods by improving the efficiency of harvesting of low-intensity ambient mechanical energy.

Design and fabrication of an energy-harvesting device using vibration absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heidari, Hamidreza; Afifi, Arash

2017-05-01

Energy-harvesting devices collect energy that is being wasted and convert to the electrical energy. For this reason, this type of devices is considered as a convenient alternative to traditional batteries. In this paper, experimental examinations were performed to investigate the application of harvesting device for the reduction of the vibration amplitude in a vibration system and also increase the efficiency of energy-harvesting device. This study focuses on the energy-harvesting device as both producing electrical device and a vibration disabled absorber. In this regard, a motion-based energy-harvesting device is designed to produce electrical energy and also eliminate vibrations of a two joint-end beam which is located under the harmonic excitation force. Then, the governing equations of the forced motion on the main beam are derived and energy-harvesting system are simulated. In addition, the system designed by MATLAB simulation is explained and its results are expressed. Finally, a prototype of the system was made and the ability of the energy-harvesting device to absorb the original system vibrations, as well as parameters impact on the efficiency of energy harvesting is investigated. Experimental results show that the energy-harvesting device, in addition to producing electric current with a maximum value of 1.5V, reduces 94% of the original system vibrations.

A Shoe-Embedded Piezoelectric Energy Harvester for Wearable Sensors

PubMed Central

Zhao, Jingjing; You, Zheng

2014-01-01

Harvesting mechanical energy from human motion is an attractive approach for obtaining clean and sustainable electric energy to power wearable sensors, which are widely used for health monitoring, activity recognition, gait analysis and so on. This paper studies a piezoelectric energy harvester for the parasitic mechanical energy in shoes originated from human motion. The harvester is based on a specially designed sandwich structure with a thin thickness, which makes it readily compatible with a shoe. Besides, consideration is given to both high performance and excellent durability. The harvester provides an average output power of 1 mW during a walk at a frequency of roughly 1 Hz. Furthermore, a direct current (DC) power supply is built through integrating the harvester with a power management circuit. The DC power supply is tested by driving a simulated wireless transmitter, which can be activated once every 2–3 steps with an active period lasting 5 ms and a mean power of 50 mW. This work demonstrates the feasibility of applying piezoelectric energy harvesters to power wearable sensors. PMID:25019634

The role of energy losses in photosynthetic light harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krüger, T. P. J.; van Grondelle, R.

2017-07-01

Photosynthesis operates at the bottom of the food chain to convert the energy of light into carbohydrates at a remarkable global rate of about 130 TW. Nonetheless, the overall photosynthetic process has a conversion efficiency of a few percent at best, significantly less than bottom-up photovoltaic cells. The primary photosynthetic steps, consisting of light harvesting and charge separation, are often presented as having near-unity quantum efficiency but this holds only true under ideal conditions. In this review, we discuss the importance of energy loss mechanisms to establish robustness in photosynthetic light harvesting. Thermal energy dissipation of light-harvesting complexes (LHCs) in different environments is investigated and the relationships and contrasts between concentration quenching of high pigment concentrations, photoprotection (non-photochemical quenching), quenching due to protein aggregation, and fluorescence blinking are discussed. The role of charge-transfer states in light harvesting and energy dissipation is highlighted and the importance of controlled protein structural disorder to switch the light-harvesting antennae between effective light harvesters and efficient energy quenchers is underscored. The main LHC of plants, LHCII, is used as a prime example.

An Energy Aware Adaptive Sampling Algorithm for Energy Harvesting WSN with Energy Hungry Sensors.

PubMed

Srbinovski, Bruno; Magno, Michele; Edwards-Murphy, Fiona; Pakrashi, Vikram; Popovici, Emanuel

2016-03-28

Wireless sensor nodes have a limited power budget, though they are often expected to be functional in the field once deployed for extended periods of time. Therefore, minimization of energy consumption and energy harvesting technology in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) are key tools for maximizing network lifetime, and achieving self-sustainability. This paper proposes an energy aware Adaptive Sampling Algorithm (ASA) for WSN with power hungry sensors and harvesting capabilities, an energy management technique that can be implemented on any WSN platform with enough processing power to execute the proposed algorithm. An existing state-of-the-art ASA developed for wireless sensor networks with power hungry sensors is optimized and enhanced to adapt the sampling frequency according to the available energy of the node. The proposed algorithm is evaluated using two in-field testbeds that are supplied by two different energy harvesting sources (solar and wind). Simulation and comparison between the state-of-the-art ASA and the proposed energy aware ASA (EASA) in terms of energy durability are carried out using in-field measured harvested energy (using both wind and solar sources) and power hungry sensors (ultrasonic wind sensor and gas sensors). The simulation results demonstrate that using ASA in combination with an energy aware function on the nodes can drastically increase the lifetime of a WSN node and enable self-sustainability. In fact, the proposed EASA in conjunction with energy harvesting capability can lead towards perpetual WSN operation and significantly outperform the state-of-the-art ASA.

An Energy Aware Adaptive Sampling Algorithm for Energy Harvesting WSN with Energy Hungry Sensors

PubMed Central

Srbinovski, Bruno; Magno, Michele; Edwards-Murphy, Fiona; Pakrashi, Vikram; Popovici, Emanuel

2016-01-01

Wireless sensor nodes have a limited power budget, though they are often expected to be functional in the field once deployed for extended periods of time. Therefore, minimization of energy consumption and energy harvesting technology in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) are key tools for maximizing network lifetime, and achieving self-sustainability. This paper proposes an energy aware Adaptive Sampling Algorithm (ASA) for WSN with power hungry sensors and harvesting capabilities, an energy management technique that can be implemented on any WSN platform with enough processing power to execute the proposed algorithm. An existing state-of-the-art ASA developed for wireless sensor networks with power hungry sensors is optimized and enhanced to adapt the sampling frequency according to the available energy of the node. The proposed algorithm is evaluated using two in-field testbeds that are supplied by two different energy harvesting sources (solar and wind). Simulation and comparison between the state-of-the-art ASA and the proposed energy aware ASA (EASA) in terms of energy durability are carried out using in-field measured harvested energy (using both wind and solar sources) and power hungry sensors (ultrasonic wind sensor and gas sensors). The simulation results demonstrate that using ASA in combination with an energy aware function on the nodes can drastically increase the lifetime of a WSN node and enable self-sustainability. In fact, the proposed EASA in conjunction with energy harvesting capability can lead towards perpetual WSN operation and significantly outperform the state-of-the-art ASA. PMID:27043559

Energy Harvesting for Structural Health Monitoring Sensor Networks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Park, G.; Farrar, C. R.; Todd, M. D.

2007-02-26

This report has been developed based on information exchanges at a 2.5-day workshop on energy harvesting for embedded structural health monitoring (SHM) sensing systems that was held June 28-30, 2005, at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The workshop was hosted by the LANL/UCSD Engineering Institute (EI). This Institute is an education- and research-focused collaboration between Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), Jacobs School of Engineering. A Statistical Pattern Recognition paradigm for SHM is first presented and the concept of energy harvesting for embedded sensing systems is addressed with respect to the data acquisition portionmore » of this paradigm. Next, various existing and emerging sensing modalities used for SHM and their respective power requirements are summarized, followed by a discussion of SHM sensor network paradigms, power requirements for these networks and power optimization strategies. Various approaches to energy harvesting and energy storage are discussed and limitations associated with the current technology are addressed. This discussion also addresses current energy harvesting applications and system integration issues. The report concludes by defining some future research directions and possible technology demonstrations that are aimed at transitioning the concept of energy harvesting for embedded SHM sensing systems from laboratory research to field-deployed engineering prototypes.« less

Innovative thermal energy harvesting for future autonomous applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monfray, Stephane

2013-12-01

As communicating autonomous systems market is booming, the role of energy harvesting will be a key enabler. As example, heat is one of the most abundant energy sources that can be converted into electricity in order to power circuits. Harvesting systems that use wasted heat open new ways to power autonomous sensors when the energy consumption is low, or to create systems of power generators when the conversion efficiency is high. The combination of different technologies (low power μ-processors, μ-batteries, radio, sensors...) with new energy harvesters compatible with large varieties of use-cases with allow to address this booming market. Thanks to the conjunction of ultra-low power electronic development, 3D technologies & Systems in Package approaches, the integration of autonomous sensors and electronics with ambient energy harvesting will be achievable. The applications are very wide, from environment and industrial sensors to medical portable applications, and the Internet of things may also represent in the future a several billions units market.

Hybrid nanogenerator for concurrently harvesting biomechanical and biochemical energy.

PubMed

Hansen, Benjamin J; Liu, Ying; Yang, Rusen; Wang, Zhong Lin

2010-07-27

Harvesting energy from multiple sources available in our personal and daily environments is highly desirable, not only for powering personal electronics, but also for future implantable sensor-transmitter devices for biomedical and healthcare applications. Here we present a hybrid energy scavenging device for potential in vivo applications. The hybrid device consists of a piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) nanofiber nanogenerator for harvesting mechanical energy, such as from breathing or from the beat of a heart, and a flexible enzymatic biofuel cell for harvesting the biochemical (glucose/O2) energy in biofluid, which are two types of energy available in vivo. The two energy harvesting approaches can work simultaneously or individually, thereby boosting output and lifetime. Using the hybrid device, we demonstrate a "self-powered" nanosystem by powering a ZnO nanowire UV light sensor.

On-road energy harvesting from running vehicles : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-11-01

A new type of large-scale on-road energy harvester to harness the energy on the road when : traffic passes by is developed. When vehicles pass over the energy harvesting device, the : electrical energy can be produced by the mechanical motion even af...

Airflow energy harvesting with high wind velocities for industrial applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chew, Z. J.; Tuddenham, S. B.; Zhu, M.

2016-11-01

An airflow energy harvester capable of harvesting energy from vortices at high speed is presented in this paper. The airflow energy harvester is implemented using a modified helical Savonius turbine and an electromagnetic generator. A power management module with maximum power point finding capability is used to manage the harvested energy and convert the low voltage magnitude from the generator to a usable level for wireless sensors. The airflow energy harvester is characterized using vortex generated by air hitting a plate in a wind tunnel. By using an aircraft environment with wind speed of 17 m/s as case study, the output power of the airflow energy harvester is measured to be 126 mW. The overall efficiency of the power management module is 45.76 to 61.2%, with maximum power point tracking efficiency of 94.21 to 99.72% for wind speed of 10 to 18 m/s, and has a quiescent current of 790 nA for the maximum power point tracking circuit.

Wideband, low-frequency springless vibration energy harvesters: part I

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bendame, Mohamed; Abdel-Rahman, Eihab; Soliman, Mostafa

2016-11-01

We present a novel architecture for wideband and low-frequency vibration energy harvesting (VEH). Springless vibration energy harvesters (SVEH) employ impact oscillators as energy harvesting elements. A seismic mass moves along a linear guide limited by stoppers at both ends of the track. An electromagnetic transducer converts the kinetic energy captured by the mass into electrical energy. Experiments using prototypes of the horizontal SVEH demonstrated low frequency harvesting (<20 Hz), wideband harvesting (up to 6.0 Hz), and an optimal rectified output power of P  =  12 mW for a base acceleration amplitude of 0.5 g. A model of the electromagnetic SVEH was developed and validated experimentally. A figure of merit was defined to quantify realizable output power in linear and nonlinear VEHs. Comparison using this figure of merit shows that electromagnetic SVEHs outperform their linear counterparts by 92%-232% for acceleration amplitudes in the range of 0.4-0.6 g.

Flexible energy harvesting from hard piezoelectric beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delnavaz, Aidin; Voix, Jérémie

2016-11-01

This paper presents design, multiphysics finite element modeling and experimental validation of a new miniaturized PZT generator that integrates a bulk piezoelectric ceramic onto a flexible platform for energy harvesting from the human body pressing force. In spite of its flexibility, the mechanical structure of the proposed device is simple to fabricate and efficient for the energy conversion. The finite element model involves both mechanical and piezoelectric parts of the device coupled with the electrical circuit model. The energy harvester prototype was fabricated and tested under the low frequency periodic pressing force during 10 seconds. The experimental results show that several nano joules of electrical energy is stored in a capacitor that is quite significant given the size of the device. The finite element model is validated by observing a good agreement between experimental and simulation results. the validated model could be used for optimizing the device for energy harvesting from earcanal deformations.

Evaluating sustainable energy harvesting systems for human implantable sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

AL-Oqla, Faris M.; Omar, Amjad A.; Fares, Osama

2018-03-01

Achieving most appropriate energy-harvesting technique for human implantable sensors is still challenging for the industry where keen decisions have to be performed. Moreover, the available polymeric-based composite materials are offering plentiful renewable applications that can help sustainable development as being useful for the energy-harvesting systems such as photovoltaic, piezoelectric, thermoelectric devices as well as other energy storage systems. This work presents an expert-based model capable of better evaluating and examining various available renewable energy-harvesting techniques in urban surroundings subject to various technical and economic, often conflicting, criteria. Wide evaluation criteria have been adopted in the proposed model after examining their suitability as well as ensuring the expediency and reliability of the model by worldwide experts' feedback. The model includes establishing an analytic hierarchy structure with simultaneous 12 conflicting factors to establish a systematic road map for designers to better assess such techniques for human implantable medical sensors. The energy-harvesting techniques considered were limited to Wireless, Thermoelectric, Infrared Radiator, Piezoelectric, Magnetic Induction and Electrostatic Energy Harvesters. Results have demonstrated that the best decision was in favour of wireless-harvesting technology for the medical sensors as it is preferable by most of the considered evaluation criteria in the model.

Relay Selection for Cooperative Relaying in Wireless Energy Harvesting Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Kaiyan; Wang, Fei; Li, Songsong; Jiang, Fengjiao; Cao, Lijie

2018-01-01

Energy harvesting from the surroundings is a promising solution to provide energy supply and extend the life of wireless sensor networks. Recently, energy harvesting has been shown as an attractive solution to prolong the operation of cooperative networks. In this paper, we propose a relay selection scheme to optimize the amplify-and-forward (AF) cooperative transmission in wireless energy harvesting cooperative networks. The harvesting energy and channel conditions are considered to select the optimal relay as cooperative relay to minimize the outage probability of the system. Simulation results show that our proposed relay selection scheme achieves better outage performance than other strategies.

Flow Energy Piezoelectric Bimorph Nozzle Harvester

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walkemeyer, Phillip E. (Inventor); Tosi, Phillipe (Inventor); Corbett, Thomas Gary (Inventor); Hall, Jeffrey L. (Inventor); Lee, Hyeong Jae (Inventor); Arrazola, Alvaro Jose (Inventor); Sherrit, Stewart (Inventor); Colonius, Tim (Inventor); Kim, Namhyo (Inventor); Sun, Kai (Inventor)

2016-01-01

A flow energy harvesting device having a harvester pipe includes a flow inlet that receives flow from a primary pipe, a flow outlet that returns the flow into the primary pipe, and a flow diverter within the harvester pipe having an inlet section coupled to the flow inlet, a flow constriction section coupled to the inlet section and positioned at a midpoint of the harvester pipe and having a spline shape with a substantially reduced flow opening size at a constriction point along the spline shape, and an outlet section coupled to the constriction section. The harvester pipe may further include a piezoelectric structure extending from the inlet section through the constriction section and point such that the fluid flow past the constriction point results in oscillatory pressure amplitude inducing vibrations in the piezoelectric structure sufficient to cause a direct piezoelectric effect and to generate electrical power for harvesting.

Modelling of a Bi-axial Vibration Energy Harvester

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-01

magnetic field distribution and thus the output power of the vibration energy harvester , the modelling of the response of the ball- bearing to host......nonlinear and bi-axial vibration energy harvesting device. The device utilises a wire-coil electromagnetic (EM) transducer within a nonlinear oscillator

Piezoelectric monolayers as nonlinear energy harvesters.

PubMed

López-Suárez, Miquel; Pruneda, Miguel; Abadal, Gabriel; Rurali, Riccardo

2014-05-02

We study the dynamics of h-BN monolayers by first performing ab-initio calculations of the deformation potential energy and then solving numerically a Langevine-type equation to explore their use in nonlinear vibration energy harvesting devices. An applied compressive strain is used to drive the system into a nonlinear bistable regime, where quasi-harmonic vibrations are combined with low-frequency swings between the minima of a double-well potential. Due to its intrinsic piezoelectric response, the nonlinear mechanical harvester naturally provides an electrical power that is readily available or can be stored by simply contacting the monolayer at its ends. Engineering the induced nonlinearity, a 20 nm2 device is predicted to harvest an electrical power of up to 0.18 pW for a noisy vibration of 5 pN.

Energy Harvesting from Aerodynamic Instabilities: Current prospect and Future Trends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bashir, M.; Rajendran, P.; Khan, S. A.

2018-01-01

This paper evaluates the layout and advancement of energy harvesting based on aerodynamic instabilities of an aircraft. Vibration and thermoelectric energy harvesters are substantiated as most suitable alternative low-power sources for aerospace applications. Furthermore, the facility associated with the aircraft applications in harvesting the mechanical vibrations and converting it to electric energy has fascinated the researchers. These devices are designed as an alternative to a battery-based solution especially for small aircrafts, wireless structural health monitoring for aircraft systems, and harvester plates employed in UAVs to enhance the endurance and operational flight missions. We will emphasize on various sources of energy harvesting that are designed to come from aerodynamic flow-induced vibrations, specific attention is then given at those technologies that may offer, today or in the near future, a potential benefit to reduce both the cost and emissions of the aviation industry. The advancements achieved in the energy harvesting based on aerodynamic instabilities show very good scope for many piezoelectric harvesters in the field of aerospace, specifically green aviation technology in the future.

Decentralized Hypothesis Testing in Energy Harvesting Wireless Sensor Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarighati, Alla; Gross, James; Jalden, Joakim

2017-09-01

We consider the problem of decentralized hypothesis testing in a network of energy harvesting sensors, where sensors make noisy observations of a phenomenon and send quantized information about the phenomenon towards a fusion center. The fusion center makes a decision about the present hypothesis using the aggregate received data during a time interval. We explicitly consider a scenario under which the messages are sent through parallel access channels towards the fusion center. To avoid limited lifetime issues, we assume each sensor is capable of harvesting all the energy it needs for the communication from the environment. Each sensor has an energy buffer (battery) to save its harvested energy for use in other time intervals. Our key contribution is to formulate the problem of decentralized detection in a sensor network with energy harvesting devices. Our analysis is based on a queuing-theoretic model for the battery and we propose a sensor decision design method by considering long term energy management at the sensors. We show how the performance of the system changes for different battery capacities. We then numerically show how our findings can be used in the design of sensor networks with energy harvesting sensors.

Tunable bistable devices for harvesting energy from spinning wheels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elhadidi, Mohamed; Helal, Mohammed; Nassar, Omar; Arafa, Mustafa; Zeyada, Yasser

2015-04-01

Bistable systems have recently been employed for vibration energy harvesting owing to their favorable dynamic characteristics and desirable response for wideband excitation. In this paper, we investigate the use of bistable harvesters to extract energy from spinning wheels. The proposed harvester consists of a piezoelectric cantilever beam that is mounted on a rigid spinning hub and carries a tip mass in the form of a permanent magnet. Magnetic repulsion forces from an opposite magnet cause the beam to possess two stable equilibrium positions. Inter-well lead-lag oscillations caused by rotation in a vertical plane provide a good source for energy extraction. The design offers frequency tuning, as the centrifugal forces strain the harvester, thereby increasing its natural frequency to cope with a variable rotational speed. This has applications in self-powered sensors mounted on spinning wheels, such as tire pressure monitoring sensors. An effort is made to select the design parameters to enable the harvester to exhibit favorable inter-well oscillations across a range of rotational speeds for enhanced energy harvesting. Findings of the present work are verified both numerically and experimentally.

Electrical Energy Harvesting from Thermal Energy with Converged Infrared Light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goh, S. Y.; Kok, S. L.

2017-06-01

Photovoltaics (PV) cell is a common energy harvester that had been used to harvest solar energy and convert it into electrical energy. However, the vast energy from the spectrum of sunlight is not fully harvested. Therefore, thermoelectric (TE) module that harvest electrical energy from heat is being proposed in this paper. Generally, the part of the sunlight spectrum that induce heat is in the spectrum band of infrared (IR). For the experimental set-up in this paper, infrared (IR) light bulb was being used to simulate the IR spectrum band of the sunlight. In order to maximize the heat energy collection, a convex lens was being used to converge the IR light and therefore focused the heat on an aluminium sheet and heat sink which was placed on top of the hot side of the TE module. The distance between convex lens and IR light bulb is varying in between 10cm and 55cm and the reading was taken at an interval of 5cm. Firstly, the temperature of the IR light and converged IR light were recorded and plotted in graph. The graph showed that the temperature of the converged IR light bulb is higher than the IR light bulb. Lastly, the voltage and power output of the TE module with different heat source was compared. The output voltage and power of the TE module increased inverse proportional to the distance between IR light bulb and TE module.

High-efficiency integrated piezoelectric energy harvesting systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hande, Abhiman; Shah, Pradeep

2010-04-01

This paper describes hierarchically architectured development of an energy harvesting (EH) system that consists of micro and/or macro-scale harvesters matched to multiple components of remote wireless sensor and communication nodes. The micro-scale harvesters consist of thin-film MEMS piezoelectric cantilever arrays and power generation modules in IC-like form to allow efficient EH from vibrations. The design uses new high conversion efficiency thin-film processes combined with novel cantilever structures tuned to multiple resonant frequencies as broadband arrays. The macro-scale harvesters are used to power the collector nodes that have higher power specifications. These bulk harvesters can be integrated with efficient adaptive power management circuits that match transducer impedance and maximize power harvested from multiple scavenging sources with very low intrinsic power consumption. Texas MicroPower, Inc. is developing process based on a composition that has the highest reported energy density as compared to other commercially available bulk PZT-based sensor/actuator ceramic materials and extending it to thin-film materials and miniature conversion transducer structures. The multiform factor harvesters can be deployed for several military and commercial applications such as underground unattended sensors, sensors in oil rigs, structural health monitoring, supply chain management, and battlefield applications such as sensors on soldier apparel, equipment, and wearable electronics.

Design guidelines of triboelectric nanogenerator for water wave energy harvesters.

PubMed

Ahmed, Abdelsalam; Hassan, Islam; Jiang, Tao; Youssef, Khalid; Liu, Lian; Hedaya, Mohammad; Yazid, Taher Abu; Zu, Jean; Wang, Zhong Lin

2017-05-05

Ocean waves are one of the cleanest and most abundant energy sources on earth, and wave energy has the potential for future power generation. Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) technology has recently been proposed as a promising technology to harvest wave energy. In this paper, a theoretical study is performed on a duck-shaped TENG wave harvester recently introduced in our work. To enhance the design of the duck-shaped TENG wave harvester, the mechanical and electrical characteristics of the harvester's overall structure, as well as its inner configuration, are analyzed, respectively, under different wave conditions, to optimize parameters such as duck radius and mass. Furthermore, a comprehensive hybrid 3D model is introduced to quantify the performance of the TENG wave harvester. Finally, the influence of different TENG parameters is validated by comparing the performance of several existing TENG wave harvesters. This study can be applied as a guideline for enhancing the performance of TENG wave energy harvesters.

Assessment of energy harvesting and vibration mitigation of a pendulum dynamic absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kecik, Krzysztof

2018-06-01

The paper presents a novel system for simultaneous energy harvesting and vibration mitigation. The system consists of two main parts: an autoparametric pendulum vibration absorber and an energy harvester device. The recovered energy is from oscillation of a levitating magnet in a coil. The energy harvesting system is mounted in a pendulum structure. The system allows energy recovery from a semi-trivial solution (pendulum in rest) or/and swinging of a pendulum. The influence of harvester parameters on the system response and energy harvesting in a parametric resonance is studied in detail. The harvester device does not decrease vibration reduction effectiveness.

Applications of energy harvesting for ultralow power technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pop-Vadean, A.; Pop, P. P.; Barz, C.; Chiver, O.

2015-06-01

Ultra-low-power (ULP) technology is enabling a wide range of new applications that harvest ambient energy in very small amounts and need little or no maintenance - self-sustaining devices that are capable of perpetual or nearly perpetual operation. These new systems, which are now appearing in industrial and consumer electronics, also promise great changes in medicine and health. Until recently, the idea of micro-scale energy harvesting, and collecting miniscule amounts of ambient energy to power electronic systems, was still limited to research proposals and laboratory experiments.Today an increasing number of systems are appearing that take advantage of light, vibrations and other forms of previously wasted environmental energy for applications where providing line power or maintaining batteries is inconvenient. In the industrial world, where sensors gather information from remote equipment and hazardous processes; in consumer electronics, where mobility and convenience are served; and in medical systems, with unique requirements for prosthetics and non-invasive monitoring, energy harvesting is rapidly expanding into new applications.This paper serves as a survey for applications of energy harvesting for ultra low power technology based on various technical papers available in the public domain.

Portable Wind Energy Harvesters for Low-Power Applications: A Survey.

PubMed

Nabavi, Seyedfakhreddin; Zhang, Lihong

2016-07-16

Energy harvesting has become an increasingly important topic thanks to the advantages in renewability and environmental friendliness. In this paper, a comprehensive study on contemporary portable wind energy harvesters has been conducted. The electrical power generation methods of portable wind energy harvesters are surveyed in three major groups, piezoelectric-, electromagnetic-, and electrostatic-based generators. The paper also takes another view of this area by gauging the required mechanisms for trapping wind flow from ambient environment. In this regard, rotational and aeroelastic mechanisms are analyzed for the portable wind energy harvesting devices. The comparison between both mechanisms shows that the aeroelastic mechanism has promising potential in producing an energy harvester in smaller scale although how to maintain the resonator perpendicular to wind flow for collecting the maximum vibration is still a major challenge to overcome for this mechanism. Furthermore, this paper categorizes the previously published portable wind energy harvesters to macro and micro scales in terms of their physical dimensions. The power management systems are also surveyed to explore the possibility of improving energy conversion efficiency. Finally some insights and research trends are pointed out based on an overall analysis of the previously published works along the historical timeline.

Architectures for wrist-worn energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rantz, R.; Halim, M. A.; Xue, T.; Zhang, Q.; Gu, L.; Yang, K.; Roundy, S.

2018-04-01

This paper reports the simulation-based analysis of six dynamical structures with respect to their wrist-worn vibration energy harvesting capability. This work approaches the problem of maximizing energy harvesting potential at the wrist by considering multiple mechanical substructures; rotational and linear motion-based architectures are examined. Mathematical models are developed and experimentally corroborated. An optimization routine is applied to the proposed architectures to maximize average power output and allow for comparison. The addition of a linear spring element to the structures has the potential to improve power output; for example, in the case of rotational structures, a 211% improvement in power output was estimated under real walking excitation. The analysis concludes that a sprung rotational harvester architecture outperforms a sprung linear architecture by 66% when real walking data is used as input to the simulations.

Energy harvesting from mastication forces via a smart tooth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bani-Hani, Muath; Karami, M. Amin

2016-04-01

The batteries of the current pacing devices are relatively large and occupy over 60 percent of the size of pulse generators. Therefore, they cannot be placed in the subtle areas of human body. In this paper, the mastication force and the resulting tooth pressure are converted to electricity. The pressure energy can be converted to electricity by using the piezoelectric effect. The tooth crown is used as a power autonomous pulse generator. We refer to this envisioned pulse generator as the smart tooth. The smart tooth is in the form of a dental implant. A piezoelectric vibration energy harvester is designed and modeled for this purpose. The Piezoelectric based energy harvesters investigated and analyzed in this paper initially includes a single degree of freedom piezoelectric based stack energy harvester which utilizes a harvesting circuit employing the case of a purely resistive circuit. The next step is utilizing and investigating a bimorph piezoelectric beam which is integrated/embedded in the smart tooth implant. Mastication process causes the bimorph beam to buckle or return to unbuckled condition. The transitions results in vibration of the piezoelectric beam and thus generate energy. The power estimated by the two mechanisms is in the order of hundreds of microwatts. Both scenarios of the energy harvesters are analytically modeled. The exact analytical solution of the piezoelectric beam energy harvester with Euler-Bernoulli beam assumptions is presented. The electro-mechanical coupling and the geometric nonlinearities have been included in the model for the piezoelectric beam.

Powering a leadless pacemaker using a PiezoMEMS energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Nathan; Olszewski, Oskar; O'Murchu, Cian; Mathewson, Alan

2017-06-01

MEMS based vibrational energy harvesting devices have been a highly researched topic over the past decade. The application targeted in this paper focuses on a leadless pacemaker that will be implanted in the right ventricle of the heart. A leadless pacemaker requires the same functionality as a normal pacemaker, but with significantly reduced volume. The reduced volume limits the space for a battery; therefore an energy harvesting device is required. This paper compares varying the dimensions of a linear MEMS based piezoelectric energy harvester that can harvest energy from the mechanical vibrations of the heart due to shock induced vibration. Typical MEMS linear energy harvesting devices operate at high frequency (<50 Hz) with low acceleration (< 1g). The force generated from the heart acts as a series of impulses as opposed to traditional sinusoidal vibration force with high acceleration (1-4 g). Therefore the design of a MEMS harvester that is based on shock-induced vibration is necessary. PiezoMEMS energy harvesting devices consisting of a silicon substrate and mass with aluminium nitride piezoelectric material were developed and characterized using acceleration forces that mimic the heartbeat. Peak powers of up to 25μW were obtained at 1 g acceleration with a powder density of approximately 1.5 mW cm-3.

Energy harvesting devices, systems, and related methods

DOEpatents

Kotter, Dale K.

2016-10-18

Energy harvesting devices include a substrate and a plurality of resonance elements coupled to the substrate. Each resonance element is configured to collect energy in the visible and infrared light spectra and to reradiate energy having a wavelength in the range of about 0.8 .mu.m to about 0.9 .mu.m. The resonance elements are arranged in groups of two or more resonance elements. Systems for harvesting electromagnetic radiation include a substrate, a plurality of resonance elements including a conductive material carried by the substrate, and a photovoltaic material coupled to the substrate and to at least one resonance element. The resonance elements are arranged in groups, such as in a dipole, a tripole, or a bowtie configuration. Methods for forming an energy harvesting device include forming groups of two or more discrete resonance elements in a substrate and coupling a photovoltaic material to the groups of discrete resonance elements.

Flexible piezoelectric energy harvesting from jaw movements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delnavaz, Aidin; Voix, Jérémie

2014-10-01

Piezoelectric fiber composites (PFC) represent an interesting subset of smart materials that can function as sensor, actuator and energy converter. Despite their excellent potential for energy harvesting, very few PFC mechanisms have been developed to capture the human body power and convert it into an electric current to power wearable electronic devices. This paper provides a proof of concept for a head-mounted device with a PFC chin strap capable of harvesting energy from jaw movements. An electromechanical model based on the bond graph method is developed to predict the power output of the energy harvesting system. The optimum resistance value of the load and the best stretch ratio in the strap are also determined. A prototype was developed and tested and its performances were compared to the analytical model predictions. The proposed piezoelectric strap mechanism can be added to all types of head-mounted devices to power small-scale electronic devices such as hearing aids, electronic hearing protectors and communication earpieces.

Nonlinear metamaterials for electromagnetic energy harvesting (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oumbe Tekam, Gabin Thibaut; Ginis, Vincent; Seetharamdoo, Divitha; Danckaert, Jan

2016-09-01

Surrounded by electromagnetic radiation coming from wireless power transfer to consumer devices such as mobile phones, computers and television, our society is facing the scientific and technological challenge to recover energy that is otherwise lost to the environment. Energy harvesting is an emerging field of research focused on this largely unsolved problem, especially in the microwave regime. Metamaterials provide a very promising platform to meet this purpose. These artificial materials are made from subwavelength building blocks, and can be designed by resonate at particular frequencies, depending on their shape, geometry, size, and orientation. In this work, we show that an efficient electromagnetic energy harvester can be design by inserting a nonlinear element directly within the metamaterial unit cell, leading to the conversion of RF input power to DC charge accumulation. The electromagnetic energy harvester operating at microwave frequencies is built from a cut-wire metasurface, which operates as a quasistatic electric dipole resonator. Using the equivalent electrical circuit, we design the parameters to tune the resonance frequency of the harvester at the desired frequency, and we compare these results with numerical simulations. Finally, we discuss the efficiency of our metamaterial energy harvesters. This work potentially offers a variety of applications, for example in the telecommunications industry to charge phones, in robotics to power microrobots, and also in medicine to advance pacemakers or health monitoring sensors.

Implementation of a piezoelectric energy harvester in railway health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jingcheng; Jang, Shinae; Tang, Jiong

2014-03-01

With development of wireless sensor technology, wireless sensor network has shown a great potential for railway health monitoring. However, how to supply continuous power to the wireless sensor nodes is one of the critical issues in long-term full-scale deployment of the wireless smart sensors. Some energy harvesting methodologies have been available including solar, vibration, wind, etc; among them, vibration-based energy harvester using piezoelectric material showed the potential for converting ambient vibration energy to electric energy in railway health monitoring even for underground subway systems. However, the piezoelectric energy harvester has two major problems including that it could only generate small amount of energy, and that it should match the exact narrow band natural frequency with the excitation frequency. To overcome these problems, a wide band piezoelectric energy harvester, which could generate more power on various frequencies regions, has been designed and validated with experimental test. Then it was applied to a full-scale field test using actual railway train. The power generation of the wide band piezoelectric array has been compared to a narrow-band, resonant-based, piezoelectric energy harvester.

Carbon Nanotube Thin Films for Active Noise Cancellation, Solar Energy Harvesting, and Energy Storage in Building Windows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Shan

This research explores the application of carbon nanotube (CNT) films for active noise cancellation, solar energy harvesting and energy storage in building windows. The CNT-based components developed herein can be integrated into a solar-powered active noise control system for a building window. First, the use of a transparent acoustic transducer as both an invisible speaker for auxiliary audio playback and for active noise cancellation is accomplished in this work. Several challenges related to active noise cancellation in the window are addressed. These include secondary path estimation and directional cancellation of noise so as to preserve auxiliary audio and internal sounds while preventing transmission of external noise into the building. Solar energy can be harvested at a low rate of power over long durations while acoustic sound cancellation requires short durations of high power. A supercapacitor based energy storage system is therefore considered for the window. Using CNTs as electrode materials, two generations of flexible, thin, and fully solid-state supercapacitors are developed that can be integrated into the window frame. Both generations consist of carbon nanotube films coated on supporting substrates as electrodes and a solid-state polymer gel layer for the electrolyte. The first generation is a single-cell parallel-plate supercapacitor with a working voltage of 3 Volts. Its energy density is competitive with commercially available supercapacitors (which use liquid electrolyte). For many applications that will require higher working voltage, the second-generation multi-cell supercapacitor is developed. A six-cell device with a working voltage as high as 12 Volts is demonstrated here. Unlike the first generation's 3D structure, the second generation has a novel planar (2D) architecture, which makes it easy to integrate multiple cells into a thin and flexible supercapacitor. The multi-cell planar supercapacitor has energy density exceeding that of

Design guidelines of triboelectric nanogenerator for water wave energy harvesters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Abdelsalam; Hassan, Islam; Jiang, Tao; Youssef, Khalid; Liu, Lian; Hedaya, Mohammad; Abu Yazid, Taher; Zu, Jean; Wang, Zhong Lin

2017-05-01

Ocean waves are one of the cleanest and most abundant energy sources on earth, and wave energy has the potential for future power generation. Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) technology has recently been proposed as a promising technology to harvest wave energy. In this paper, a theoretical study is performed on a duck-shaped TENG wave harvester recently introduced in our work. To enhance the design of the duck-shaped TENG wave harvester, the mechanical and electrical characteristics of the harvester’s overall structure, as well as its inner configuration, are analyzed, respectively, under different wave conditions, to optimize parameters such as duck radius and mass. Furthermore, a comprehensive hybrid 3D model is introduced to quantify the performance of the TENG wave harvester. Finally, the influence of different TENG parameters is validated by comparing the performance of several existing TENG wave harvesters. This study can be applied as a guideline for enhancing the performance of TENG wave energy harvesters.

Portable Wind Energy Harvesters for Low-Power Applications: A Survey

PubMed Central

Nabavi, Seyedfakhreddin; Zhang, Lihong

2016-01-01

Energy harvesting has become an increasingly important topic thanks to the advantages in renewability and environmental friendliness. In this paper, a comprehensive study on contemporary portable wind energy harvesters has been conducted. The electrical power generation methods of portable wind energy harvesters are surveyed in three major groups, piezoelectric-, electromagnetic-, and electrostatic-based generators. The paper also takes another view of this area by gauging the required mechanisms for trapping wind flow from ambient environment. In this regard, rotational and aeroelastic mechanisms are analyzed for the portable wind energy harvesting devices. The comparison between both mechanisms shows that the aeroelastic mechanism has promising potential in producing an energy harvester in smaller scale although how to maintain the resonator perpendicular to wind flow for collecting the maximum vibration is still a major challenge to overcome for this mechanism. Furthermore, this paper categorizes the previously published portable wind energy harvesters to macro and micro scales in terms of their physical dimensions. The power management systems are also surveyed to explore the possibility of improving energy conversion efficiency. Finally some insights and research trends are pointed out based on an overall analysis of the previously published works along the historical timeline. PMID:27438834

A Skin-attachable Flexible Piezoelectric Pulse Wave Energy Harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Sunghyun; Cho, Young-Ho

2014-11-01

We present a flexible piezoelectric generator, capable to harvest energy from human arterial pulse wave on the human wrist. Special features and advantages of the flexible piezoelectric generator include the multi-layer device design with contact windows and the simple fabrication process for the higher flexibility with the better energy harvesting efficiency. We have demonstrated the design effectiveness and the process simplicity of our skin- attachable flexible piezoelectric pulse wave energy harvester, composed of the sensitive P(VDF-TrFE) piezoelectric layer on the flexible polyimide support layer with windows. We experimentally characterize and demonstrate the energy harvesting capability of 0.2~1.0μW in the Human heart rate range on the skin contact area of 3.71cm2. Additional physiological and/or vital signal monitoring devices can be fabricated and integrated on the skin attachable flexible generator, covered by an insulation layer; thus demonstrating the potentials and advantages of the present device for such applications to the flexible multi-functional selfpowered artificial skins, capable to detect physiological and/or vital signals on Human skin using the energy harvested from arterial pulse waves.

A mechanical energy harvested magnetorheological damper with linear-rotary motion converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Ki Sum; Zou, Li; Liao, Wei-Hsin

2016-04-01

Magnetorheological (MR) dampers are promising to substitute traditional oil dampers because of adaptive properties of MR fluids. During vibration, significant energy is wasted due to the energy dissipation in the damper. Meanwhile, for conventional MR damping systems, extra power supply is needed. In this paper, a new energy harvester is designed in an MR damper that integrates controllable damping and energy harvesting functions into one device. The energy harvesting part of this MR damper has a unique mechanism converting linear motion to rotary motion that would be more stable and cost effective when compared to other mechanical transmissions. A Maxon motor is used as a power generator to convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy to supply power for the MR damping system. Compared to conventional approaches, there are several advantages in such an integrated device, including weight reduction, ease in installation with less maintenance. A mechanical energy harvested MR damper with linear-rotary motion converter and motion rectifier is designed, fabricated, and tested. Experimental studies on controllable damping force and harvested energy are performed with different transmissions. This energy harvesting MR damper would be suitable to vehicle suspensions, civil structures, and smart prostheses.

Energy harvesting schemes for building interior environment monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zylka, Pawel; Pociecha, Dominik

2016-11-01

A vision to supply microelectronic devices without batteries making them perpetual or extending time of service in battery-oriented mobile supply schemes is the driving force of the research related to ambient energy harvesting. Energy harnessing aims thus at extracting energy from various ambient energy "pools", which generally are cost- or powerineffective to be scaled up for full-size, power-plant energy generation schemes supplying energy in electric form. These include - but are not limited to - waste heat, electromagnetic hum, vibrations, or human-generated power in addition to traditional renewable energy resources like water flow, tidal and wind energy or sun radiation which can also be exploited at the miniature scale by energy scavengers. However, in case of taking advantage of energy harvesting strategies to power up sensors monitoring environment inside buildings adaptable energy sources are restrained to only some which additionally are limited in spatial and temporal accessibility as well as available power. The paper explores experimentally an energy harvesting scheme exploiting human kinesis applicable in indoor environment for supplying a wireless indoor micro-system, monitoring ambient air properties (pressure, humidity and temperature).

Evaluating vehicular-induced bridge vibrations for energy harvesting applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reichenbach, Matthew; Fasl, Jeremiah; Samaras, Vasilis A.; Wood, Sharon; Helwig, Todd; Lindenberg, Richard

2012-04-01

Highway bridges are vital links in the transportation network in the United States. Identifying possible safety problems in the approximately 600,000 bridges across the country is generally accomplished through labor-intensive, visual inspections. Ongoing research sponsored by NIST seeks to improve inspection practices by providing real-time, continuous monitoring technology for steel bridges. A wireless sensor network with a service life of ten years that is powered by an integrated energy harvester is targeted. In order to achieve the target ten-year life for the monitoring system, novel approaches to energy harvesting for use in recharging batteries are investigated. Three main sources of energy are evaluated: (a) vibrational energy, (b) solar energy, and (c) wind energy. Assessing the energy produced from vehicular-induced vibrations and converted through electromagnetic induction is the focus of this paper. The goal of the study is to process acceleration data and analyze the vibrational response of steel bridges to moving truck loads. Through spectral analysis and harvester modeling, the feasibility of vibration-based energy harvesting for longterm monitoring can be assessed. The effects of bridge conditions, ambient temperature, truck traffic patterns, and harvester position on the power content of the vibrations are investigated. With sensor nodes continually recharged, the proposed real-time monitoring system will operate off the power grid, thus reducing life cycle costs and enhancing inspection practices for state DOTs. This paper will present the results of estimating the vibration energy of a steel bridge in Texas.

Bistable energy harvesting enhancement with an auxiliary linear oscillator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harne, R. L.; Thota, M.; Wang, K. W.

2013-12-01

Recent work has indicated that linear vibrational energy harvesters with an appended degree-of-freedom (DOF) may be advantageous for introducing new dynamic forms to extend the operational bandwidth. Given the additional interest in bistable harvester designs, which exhibit a propitious snap through effect from one stable state to the other, it is a logical extension to explore the influence of an added DOF to a bistable system. However, bistable snap through is not a resonant phenomenon, which tempers the presumption that the dynamics induced by an additional DOF on bistable designs would inherently be beneficial as for linear systems. This paper presents two analytical formulations to assess the fundamental and superharmonic steady-state dynamics of an excited bistable energy harvester to which is attached an auxiliary linear oscillator. From an energy harvesting perspective, the model predicts that the additional linear DOF uniformly amplifies the bistable harvester response magnitude and generated power for excitation frequencies less than the attachment’s resonance while improved power density spans a bandwidth below this frequency. Analyses predict bandwidths having co-existent responses composed of a unique proportion of fundamental and superharmonic dynamics. Experiments validate key analytical predictions and observe the ability for the coupled system to develop an advantageous multi-harmonic interwell response when the initial conditions are insufficient for continuous high-energy orbit at the excitation frequency. Overall, the addition of an auxiliary linear oscillator to a bistable harvester is found to be an effective means of enhancing the energy harvesting performance and robustness.

Radio-frequency energy harvesting for wearable sensors.

PubMed

Borges, Luís M; Chávez-Santiago, Raul; Barroca, Norberto; Velez, Fernando José; Balasingham, Ilangko

2015-02-01

The use of wearable biomedical sensors for the continuous monitoring of physiological signals will facilitate the involvement of the patients in the prevention and management of chronic diseases. The fabrication of small biomedical sensors transmitting physiological data wirelessly is possible as a result of the tremendous advances in ultra-low power electronics and radio communications. However, the widespread adoption of these devices depends very much on their ability to operate for long periods of time without the need to frequently change, recharge or even use batteries. In this context, energy harvesting (EH) is the disruptive technology that can pave the road towards the massive utilisation of wireless wearable sensors for patient self-monitoring and daily healthcare. Radio-frequency (RF) transmissions from commercial telecommunication networks represent reliable ambient energy that can be harvested as they are ubiquitous in urban and suburban areas. The state-of-the-art in RF EH for wearable biomedical sensors specifically targeting the global system of mobile 900/1800 cellular and 700 MHz digital terrestrial television networks as ambient RF energy sources are showcased. Furthermore, guidelines for the choice of the number of stages for the RF energy harvester are presented, depending on the requirements from the embedded system to power supply, which is useful for other researchers that work in the same area. The present authors' recent advances towards the development of an efficient RF energy harvester and storing system are presented and thoroughly discussed too.

Effects of Proof Mass Geometry on Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvesters.

PubMed

Alameh, Abdul Hafiz; Gratuze, Mathieu; Elsayed, Mohannad Y; Nabki, Frederic

2018-05-16

Piezoelectric energy harvesters have proven to have the potential to be a power source in a wide range of applications. As the harvester dimensions scale down, the resonance frequencies of these devices increase drastically. Proof masses are essential in micro-scale devices in order to decrease the resonance frequency and increase the strain along the beam to increase the output power. In this work, the effects of proof mass geometry on piezoelectric energy harvesters are studied. Different geometrical dimension ratios have significant impact on the resonance frequency, e.g., beam to mass lengths, and beam to mass widths. A piezoelectric energy harvester has been fabricated and tested operating at a frequency of about 4 kHz within the audible range. The responses of various prototypes were studied, and an optimized T-shaped piezoelectric vibration energy harvester design is presented for improved performance.

Internal resonance and low frequency vibration energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Wei; Towfighian, Shahrzad

2017-09-01

A nonlinear vibration energy harvester with internal resonance is presented. The proposed harvester consists of two cantilevers, each with a permanent magnet on its tip. One cantilever has a piezoelectric layer at its base. When magnetic force is applied this two degrees-of-freedom nonlinear vibration system shows the internal resonance phenomenon that broadens the frequency bandwidth compared to a linear system. Three coupled partial differential equations are obtained to predict the dynamic behavior of the nonlinear energy harvester. The perturbation method of multiple scales is used to solve equations. Results from experiments done at different vibration levels with varying distances between the magnets validate the mathematical model. Experiments and simulations show the design outperforms the linear system by doubling the frequency bandwidth. Output voltage for frequency response is studied for different system parameters. The optimal load resistance is obtained for the maximum power in the internal resonance case. The results demonstrate that a design combining internal resonance and magnetic nonlinearity improves the efficiency of energy harvesting.

A novel method for energy harvesting simulation based on scenario generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhe; Li, Taoshen; Xiao, Nan; Ye, Jin; Wu, Min

2018-06-01

Energy harvesting network (EHN) is a new form of computer networks. It converts ambient energy into usable electric energy and supply the electrical energy as a primary or secondary power source to the communication devices. However, most of the EHN uses the analytical probability distribution function to describe the energy harvesting process, which cannot accurately identify the actual situation for the lack of authenticity. We propose an EHN simulation method based on scenario generation in this paper. Firstly, instead of setting a probability distribution in advance, it uses optimal scenario reduction technology to generate representative scenarios in single period based on the historical data of the harvested energy. Secondly, it uses homogeneous simulated annealing algorithm to generate optimal daily energy harvesting scenario sequences to get a more accurate simulation of the random characteristics of the energy harvesting network. Then taking the actual wind power data as an example, the accuracy and stability of the method are verified by comparing with the real data. Finally, we cite an instance to optimize the network throughput, which indicate the feasibility and effectiveness of the method we proposed from the optimal solution and data analysis in energy harvesting simulation.

Toward Low-Frequency Mechanical Energy Harvesting Using Energy-Dense Piezoelectrochemical Materials.

PubMed

Cannarella, John; Arnold, Craig B

2015-12-02

The piezoelectrochemical coupling between mechanical stress and electrochemical potential is explored in the context of mechanical energy harvesting and shown to have promise in developing high-energy-density harvesters for low-frequency applications (e.g., human locomotion). This novel concept is demonstrated experimentally by cyclically compressing an off-the-shelf lithium-ion battery and measuring the generated electric power output. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Far-field Wireless Energy Harvesting for Increased Safeguards Equipment Battery Life.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hymel, Ross W.

Modern unattended safeguards equipment (e.g. seals) incorporates many low-power electronic circuits, which are typically powered by expensive and toxic lithium thionyl chloride (LiSOCL2) batteries. The limited life of these batteries necessitates their periodic replacement. This replacement must be performed before total battery discharge to avoid potential loss of continuity of knowledge. Thus, the effective battery capacity becomes significantly less than the actual usable capacity. Additionally, such maintenance is a radiological hazard to personnel, as well as a monetary burden to a safeguards inspectorate. Energy harvesting, a commercially available technology, could extend the operational life of batterypowered equipment to achieve significantmore » efficiencies for safeguards deployments. Energy harvesting is the scavenging and storage of ambient energy sources, such as solar, thermal, and kinetic for use in lowpower electronic applications. While the amount of scavenged energy per unit time may be small, it most often comes from a source that will not be depleted throughout the deployment of the harvesting device. The best-known energy harvesters are solar panels and wind turbines. Recently, far-field wireless energy harvesting has become a commercially available option. Far-field wireless energy harvesting provides consistent, predictable, and un-tethered power over distances up to 50 feet. This process converts radio frequency (RF) energy, both intentionally emitted and ambient, into usable direct current (DC) power. Incorporating far-field wireless energy harvesting into safeguards equipment can significantly extend the equipment’s battery life and perhaps make it indefinite. Furthermore, additional functionality can be added to safeguards equipment without lowering its operational life expectancy. This paper explores the benefits and drawbacks of integrating far-field wireless energy harvesting into a chosen safeguards seal: the Remotely Monitored

Development of a biomechanical energy harvester.

PubMed

Li, Qingguo; Naing, Veronica; Donelan, J Maxwell

2009-06-23

Biomechanical energy harvesting-generating electricity from people during daily activities-is a promising alternative to batteries for powering increasingly sophisticated portable devices. We recently developed a wearable knee-mounted energy harvesting device that generated electricity during human walking. In this methods-focused paper, we explain the physiological principles that guided our design process and present a detailed description of our device design with an emphasis on new analyses. Effectively harvesting energy from walking requires a small lightweight device that efficiently converts intermittent, bi-directional, low speed and high torque mechanical power to electricity, and selectively engages power generation to assist muscles in performing negative mechanical work. To achieve this, our device used a one-way clutch to transmit only knee extension motions, a spur gear transmission to amplify the angular speed, a brushless DC rotary magnetic generator to convert the mechanical power into electrical power, a control system to determine when to open and close the power generation circuit based on measurements of knee angle, and a customized orthopaedic knee brace to distribute the device reaction torque over a large leg surface area. The device selectively engaged power generation towards the end of swing extension, assisting knee flexor muscles by producing substantial flexion torque (6.4 Nm), and efficiently converted the input mechanical power into electricity (54.6%). Consequently, six subjects walking at 1.5 m/s generated 4.8 +/- 0.8 W of electrical power with only a 5.0 +/- 21 W increase in metabolic cost. Biomechanical energy harvesting is capable of generating substantial amounts of electrical power from walking with little additional user effort making future versions of this technology particularly promising for charging portable medical devices.

Piezoelectric energy harvesting from an L-shaped beam-mass structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erturk, Alper; Renno, Jamil M.; Inman, Daniel J.

2008-03-01

Cantilevered piezoelectric harvesters have been extensively considered in the energy harvesting literature. Mostly, a traditional cantilevered beam with one or more piezoceramic layers is located on a vibrating host structure. Motion of the host structure results in vibrations of the harvester beam and that yields an alternating voltage output. As an alternative to classical cantilevered beams, this paper presents a novel harvesting device; a flexible L-shaped beam-mass structure that can be tuned to have a two-to-one internal resonance to a primary resonance ω II ≅ 2ω I which is not possible for classical cantilevers). The L-shaped structure has been well investigated in the literature of nonlinear dynamics since the two-to-one internal resonance, along with the consideration of quadratic nonlinearities, may yield modal energy exchange (for excitation frequency ω≅ ω Ior the so-called saturation phenomenon (for ω≅ω II). As a part of our ongoing research on piezoelectric energy harvesting, we are investigating the possibility of improving the electrical outputs in energy harvesting by employing these features of the L-shaped structure. This paper aims to introduce the idea, describes the important features of the L-shaped harvester configuration and develops a linear distributed parameter model for predicting the electromechanically coupled response. In addition, this work proposes a direct application of the L-shaped piezoelectric energy harvester configuration for use as landing gears in unmanned air vehicle applications.

Scaling prospects in mechanical energy harvesting with piezo nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardila, Gustavo; Hinchet, Ronan; Mouis, Mireille; Montès, Laurent

2013-07-01

The combination of 3D processing technologies, low power circuits and new materials integration makes it conceivable to build autonomous integrated systems, which would harvest their energy from the environment. In this paper, we focus on mechanical energy harvesting and discuss its scaling prospects toward the use of piezoelectric nanostructures, able to be integrated in a CMOS environment. It is shown that direct scaling of present MEMS-based methodologies would be beneficial for high-frequency applications only. For the range of applications which is presently foreseen, a different approach is needed, based on energy harvesting from direct real-time deformation instead of energy harvesting from vibration modes at or close to resonance. We discuss the prospects of such an approach based on simple scaling rules Contribution to the Topical Issue “International Semiconductor Conference Dresden-Grenoble - ISCDG 2012”, Edited by Gérard Ghibaudo, Francis Balestra and Simon Deleonibus.

Harvesting electrostatic energy using super-hydrophobic surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pociecha, Dominik; Zylka, Pawel

2016-11-01

Almost all environments are now being extensively populated by miniaturized, nano-powered electronic sensor devices communicated together through wireless sensor networks building Internet of Things (IoT). Various energy harvesting techniques are being more and more frequently proposed for battery-less powering of such remote, unattended, implantable or wearable sensors or other low-power electronic gadgets. Energy harvesting relays on extracting energy from the ambient sources readily accessible at the sensor location and converting it into electrical power. The paper exploits possibility of generating electric energy safely accessible for nano-power electronics using tribo-electric and electrostatic induction phenomena displayed at super-hydrophobic surfaces impinged by water droplets. Mechanism of such interaction is discussed and illustrated by experimental results.

Magnetic levitation-based electromagnetic energy harvesting: a semi-analytical non-linear model for energy transduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soares Dos Santos, Marco P.; Ferreira, Jorge A. F.; Simões, José A. O.; Pascoal, Ricardo; Torrão, João; Xue, Xiaozheng; Furlani, Edward P.

2016-01-01

Magnetic levitation has been used to implement low-cost and maintenance-free electromagnetic energy harvesting. The ability of levitation-based harvesting systems to operate autonomously for long periods of time makes them well-suited for self-powering a broad range of technologies. In this paper, a combined theoretical and experimental study is presented of a harvester configuration that utilizes the motion of a levitated hard-magnetic element to generate electrical power. A semi-analytical, non-linear model is introduced that enables accurate and efficient analysis of energy transduction. The model predicts the transient and steady-state response of the harvester a function of its motion (amplitude and frequency) and load impedance. Very good agreement is obtained between simulation and experiment with energy errors lower than 14.15% (mean absolute percentage error of 6.02%) and cross-correlations higher than 86%. The model provides unique insight into fundamental mechanisms of energy transduction and enables the geometric optimization of harvesters prior to fabrication and the rational design of intelligent energy harvesters.

Magnetic levitation-based electromagnetic energy harvesting: a semi-analytical non-linear model for energy transduction

PubMed Central

Soares dos Santos, Marco P.; Ferreira, Jorge A. F.; Simões, José A. O.; Pascoal, Ricardo; Torrão, João; Xue, Xiaozheng; Furlani, Edward P.

2016-01-01

Magnetic levitation has been used to implement low-cost and maintenance-free electromagnetic energy harvesting. The ability of levitation-based harvesting systems to operate autonomously for long periods of time makes them well-suited for self-powering a broad range of technologies. In this paper, a combined theoretical and experimental study is presented of a harvester configuration that utilizes the motion of a levitated hard-magnetic element to generate electrical power. A semi-analytical, non-linear model is introduced that enables accurate and efficient analysis of energy transduction. The model predicts the transient and steady-state response of the harvester a function of its motion (amplitude and frequency) and load impedance. Very good agreement is obtained between simulation and experiment with energy errors lower than 14.15% (mean absolute percentage error of 6.02%) and cross-correlations higher than 86%. The model provides unique insight into fundamental mechanisms of energy transduction and enables the geometric optimization of harvesters prior to fabrication and the rational design of intelligent energy harvesters. PMID:26725842

Effects of Proof Mass Geometry on Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvesters

PubMed Central

Gratuze, Mathieu; Elsayed, Mohannad Y.

2018-01-01

Piezoelectric energy harvesters have proven to have the potential to be a power source in a wide range of applications. As the harvester dimensions scale down, the resonance frequencies of these devices increase drastically. Proof masses are essential in micro-scale devices in order to decrease the resonance frequency and increase the strain along the beam to increase the output power. In this work, the effects of proof mass geometry on piezoelectric energy harvesters are studied. Different geometrical dimension ratios have significant impact on the resonance frequency, e.g., beam to mass lengths, and beam to mass widths. A piezoelectric energy harvester has been fabricated and tested operating at a frequency of about 4 kHz within the audible range. The responses of various prototypes were studied, and an optimized T-shaped piezoelectric vibration energy harvester design is presented for improved performance. PMID:29772706

Optical arc sensor using energy harvesting power source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Choi, Kyoo Nam, E-mail: knchoi@inu.ac.kr; Rho, Hee Hyuk, E-mail: rdoubleh0902@inu.ac.kr

Wireless sensors without external power supply gained considerable attention due to convenience both in installation and operation. Optical arc detecting sensor equipping with self sustaining power supply using energy harvesting method was investigated. Continuous energy harvesting method was attempted using thermoelectric generator to supply standby power in micro ampere scale and operating power in mA scale. Peltier module with heat-sink was used for high efficiency electricity generator. Optical arc detecting sensor with hybrid filter showed insensitivity to fluorescent and incandescent lamps under simulated distribution panel condition. Signal processing using integrating function showed selective arc discharge detection capability to different arcmore » energy levels, with a resolution below 17 J energy difference, unaffected by bursting arc waveform. The sensor showed possibility for application to arc discharge detecting sensor in power distribution panel. Also experiment with proposed continuous energy harvesting method using thermoelectric power showed possibility as a self sustainable power source of remote sensor.« less

Optical arc sensor using energy harvesting power source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Kyoo Nam; Rho, Hee Hyuk

2016-06-01

Wireless sensors without external power supply gained considerable attention due to convenience both in installation and operation. Optical arc detecting sensor equipping with self sustaining power supply using energy harvesting method was investigated. Continuous energy harvesting method was attempted using thermoelectric generator to supply standby power in micro ampere scale and operating power in mA scale. Peltier module with heat-sink was used for high efficiency electricity generator. Optical arc detecting sensor with hybrid filter showed insensitivity to fluorescent and incandescent lamps under simulated distribution panel condition. Signal processing using integrating function showed selective arc discharge detection capability to different arc energy levels, with a resolution below 17J energy difference, unaffected by bursting arc waveform. The sensor showed possibility for application to arc discharge detecting sensor in power distribution panel. Also experiment with proposed continuous energy harvesting method using thermoelectric power showed possibility as a self sustainable power source of remote sensor.

A triboelectric wind turbine for small-scale energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez, Matthias; Boisseau, Sebastien; Geisler, Matthias; Despesse, Ghislain; Reboud, Jean Luc

2016-11-01

This paper deals with a rotational energy harvester including a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT), a cylindrical stator covered by several electrodes, and thin Teflon dielectric membranes hung on the rotor. The sliding contact of the Teflon membranes on the stator provides simultaneously large capacitance variations and a polarization source for the electrostatic converter by exploiting triboelectric phenomena. 1μW has been harvested at 4m/s; 130μW at 10m/s and 550μW at 20m/s with a 40mmØ device. In order to validate the energy harvesting chain, the airflow energy harvester has been connected to a power management circuit implementing Synchronous Electric Charge Extraction (SECE) to supply a wireless sensor node with temperature and acceleration measurements, transmitted to a computer at 868MHz.

Piezoelectric energy harvesting from heartbeat vibrations for leadless pacemakers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ansari, M. H.; Karami, M. Amin

2015-12-01

This paper studies energy harvesting from heartbeat vibrations using fan-folded piezoelectric beams. The generated energy from the heartbeat can be used to power a leadless pacemaker. In order to utilize the available 3 dimensional space to the energy harvester, we chose the fan-folded design. The proposed device consists of several piezoelectric beams stacked on top of each other. The size for this energy harvester is 2 cm by 0.5 cm by 1 cm, which makes the natural frequency very high. High natural frequency is one major concern about the micro-scaled energy harvesters. By utilizing the fan-folded geometry and adding tip mass and link mass to the configuration, this natural frequency is reduced to the desired range. This fan-folded design makes it possible to generate more than 10 μW of power. The proposed device does not incorporate magnets and is thus Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatible. Although our device is a linear energy harvester, it is shown that the device is relatively insensitive to the heartrate. The natural frequencies and the mode shapes of the device are calculated. An analytical solution is presented and the method is verified by experimental investigation. We use a closed loop shaker controller and a shaker to simulate the heartbeat vibrations. The developed analytical model is verified through comparison of theoretical and experimental tip displacement and acceleration frequency response functions.

Design of Energy Harvesting Technology: Feasibility for Low-Power Wireless Sensor Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-18

2.2.3 VIBRATION ENERGY: PIEZOELECTRIC & INDUCTIVE HARVESTERS The theoretical power available from vibration relates to the kinetic energy of... vibration energy. Energy storage is also discussed, including both disposable batteries (as the status quo with which to compare energy harvesting ...and rechargeable systems (as a necessary component of the energy harvesting system). Solar, wind, and vibration energy are all found to be

Triboelectret-based aeroelastic flutter energy harvesters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez, Matthias; Boisseau, Sebastien; Geisler, Matthias; Despesse, Ghislain; Reboud, Jean Luc

2016-11-01

This paper highlights some experimental results on several electrostatic membranes tested in a wind tunnel between 0 and 20m.s-1 for airflow energy harvesting. The main idea is to use the aeroelastic behavior of thin flexible films to induce simultaneously the capacitance variations and the polarization required by the triboelectric/electrostatic conversion. This technology provides thin and flexible devices and avoids the issue of electrets discharge. Our prototypes (<16cm2) allowed a quick startup (from 3ms-1), an electrical power-flux density from 0.1μW.cm-2 to 60μW.cm-2. In order to complete the energy harvesting chain, we have used a wireless sensor with temperature and acceleration measures coupled to a low power transmission (Bluetooth Low Energy) with reception on a smartphone.

Energy harvesting from mouse click of robot finger using piezoelectrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cha, Youngsu; Hong, Jin; Lee, Jaemin; Park, Jung-Min; Kim, Keehoon

2017-04-01

In this paper, we investigate the feasibility of energy harvesting from the mouse click motion using a piezoelectric energy transducer. Specifically, we use a robotic finger to realize repeatable mouse click motion. The robotic finger wears a glove with a pocket for including the piezoelectric material as an energy transducer. We propose a model for the energy harvesting system through the inverse kinematic framework of parallel joints in the finger and the electromechanical coupling equations of the piezoelectric material. Experiments are performed to elucidate the effect of the load resistance and the mouse click motion on energy harvesting.

Control of electro-chemical processes using energy harvesting materials and devices.

PubMed

Zhang, Yan; Xie, Mengying; Adamaki, Vana; Khanbareh, Hamideh; Bowen, Chris R

2017-12-11

Energy harvesting is a topic of intense interest that aims to convert ambient forms of energy such as mechanical motion, light and heat, which are otherwise wasted, into useful energy. In many cases the energy harvester or nanogenerator converts motion, heat or light into electrical energy, which is subsequently rectified and stored within capacitors for applications such as wireless and self-powered sensors or low-power electronics. This review covers the new and emerging area that aims to directly couple energy harvesting materials and devices with electro-chemical systems. The harvesting approaches to be covered include pyroelectric, piezoelectric, triboelectric, flexoelectric, thermoelectric and photovoltaic effects. These are used to influence a variety of electro-chemical systems such as applications related to water splitting, catalysis, corrosion protection, degradation of pollutants, disinfection of bacteria and material synthesis. Comparisons are made between the range harvesting approaches and the modes of operation are described. Future directions for the development of electro-chemical harvesting systems are highlighted and the potential for new applications and hybrid approaches are discussed.

Characterization of piezoelectric device for implanted pacemaker energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jay, Sunny; Caballero, Manuel; Quinn, William; Barrett, John; Hill, Martin

2016-10-01

Novel implanted cardiac pacemakers that are powered by energy harvesters driven by the cardiac motion and have a 40 year lifetime are currently under development. To satisfy space constraints and energy requirements of the device, silicon-based MEMS energy harvesters are being developed in the EU project (MANpower1). Such MEMS harvesters for vibration frequencies below 50 Hz have not been widely reported. In this paper, an analytical model and a 3D finite element model (FEM) to predict displacement and open circuit voltage, validated through experimental analysis using an off-the-shelf low frequency energy harvester, are presented. The harvester was excited through constant amplitude sinusoidal base displacement over a range of 20 to 70 Hz passing through its first mode natural frequency at 47 Hz. At resonance both models predict displacements with an error of less than 2% when compared to the experimental result. Comparing the two models, the application of the experimentally measured damping ratio differs for accurate displacement prediction and the differences in symmetry in the measured and modelled displacement and voltage data around the resonance frequency indicate the two piezoelectric voltage models use different fundamental equations.

Energy harvesting on highway bridges.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-01-01

A concept for harvesting energy from the traffic-induced loadings on a highway bridge using piezoelectric : materials to generate electricity was explored through the prototype stage. A total of sixteen lead-zirconate : titanate (PZT) Type 5A piezoel...

Energy harvesting from dancing: for broadening in participation in STEM fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamidi, Armita; Tadesse, Yonas

2016-04-01

Energy harvesting from structure vibration, human motion or environmental source has been the focus of researchers in the past few decades. This paper proposes a novel design that is suitable to harvest energy from human motions such as dancing or physical exercise and use the device to engage young students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields and outreach activities. The energy harvester (EH) device was designed for a dominant human operational frequency range of 1-5 Hz and it can be wearable by human. We proposed to incorporate different genres of music coupled with energy harvesting technologies for motivation and energy generation. Students will learn both science and art together, since the energy harvesting requires understanding basic physical phenomena and the art enables various physical movements that imparts the largest motion transfer to the EH device. Therefore, the systems are coupled to each other. Young people follow music updates more than robotics or energy harvesting researches. Most popular videos on YouTube and VEVO are viewed more than 100 million times. Perhaps, integrating the energy harvesting research with music or physical exercise might enhance students' engagement in science, and needs investigation. A multimodal energy harvester consisting of piezoelectric and electromagnetic subsystems, which can be wearable in the leg, is proposed in this study. Three piezoelectric cantilever beams having permanent magnets at the ends are connected to a base through a slip ring. Stationary electromagnetic coils are installed in the base and connected in series. Whenever the device is driven by any oscillation parallel to the base, the unbalanced rotor will rotate generating energy across the stationary coils in the base. In another case, if the device is driven by an oscillation perpendicular to the base, a stress will be induced within the cantilever beams generating energy across the piezoelectric materials.

Foldover effect and energy output from a nonlinear pseudo-maglev harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kecik, Krzysztof; Mitura, Andrzej; Warminski, Jerzy; Lenci, Stefano

2018-01-01

Dynamics analysis and energy harvesting of a nonlinear magnetic pseudo-levitation (pseudo-maglev) harvester under harmonic excitation is presented in this paper. The system, for selected parameters, has two stable possible solutions with different corresponding energy outputs. The main goal is to analyse the influence of resistance load on the multi-stability zones and energy recovery which can help to tune the system to improve the energy harvesting efficiency.

Fabrication and characterization of non-resonant magneto-mechanical low-frequency vibration energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nammari, Abdullah; Caskey, Logan; Negrete, Johnny; Bardaweel, Hamzeh

2018-03-01

This article presents a non-resonant magneto-mechanical vibration energy harvester. When externally excited, the energy harvester converts vibrations into electric charge using a guided levitated magnet oscillating inside a multi-turn coil that is fixed around the exterior of the energy harvester. The levitated magnet is guided using four oblique mechanical springs. A prototype of the energy harvester is fabricated using additive manufacturing. Both experiment and model are used to characterize the static and dynamic behavior of the energy harvester. Measured restoring forces show that the fabricated energy harvester retains a mono-stable potential energy well with desired stiffness nonlinearities. Results show that magnetic spring results in hardening effect which increases the resonant frequency of the energy harvester. Additionally, oblique mechanical springs introduce geometric, negative, nonlinear stiffness which improves the harvester's response towards lower frequency spectrum. The unique design can produce a tunable energy harvester with multi-well potential energy characteristics. A finite element model is developed to estimate the average radial flux density experienced by the multi-turn coil. Also, a lumped parameter model of the energy harvester is developed and validated against measured data. Both upward and downward frequency sweeps are performed to determine the frequency response of the harvester. Results show that at higher excitation levels hardening effects become more apparent, and the system dynamic response turns into non-resonant. Frequency response curves exhibit frequency jump phenomena as a result of coexistence of multiple energy states at the frequency branch. The fabricated energy harvester is hand-held and measures approximately 100.5 [cm3] total volume. For a base excitation of 1.0 g [m/s2], the prototype generates a peak voltage and normalized power density of approximately 3.5 [V] and 0.133 [mW/cm3 g2], respectively, at 15.5 [Hz].

Scattering of Acoustic Energy from Rough Deep Ocean Seafloor: a Numerical Modeling Approach.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertsson, Johan Olof Anders

1995-01-01

The highly heterogeneous and anelastic nature of deep ocean seafloor results in complex reverberation as acoustic energy incident from the overlaying water column interacts and scatters from it. To gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms causing the reverberation in sonar and seafloor scattering experiments, we have developed numerical simulation techniques that are capable of modeling the principal physical properties of complex seafloor structures. A new viscoelastic finite-difference technique for modeling anelastic wave propagation in 2-D and 3-D heterogeneous media, as well as a computationally optimally efficient method for quantifying the anelastic properties in terms of viscoelastic mechanics are presented. A method for reducing numerical dispersion using a Galerkin-wavelet formulation that enables large computational savings is also presented. The widely different regimes of wave propagation occurring in ocean acoustic problems motivate the use of hybrid simulation techniques. HARVEST (Hybrid Adaptive Regime Visco-Elastic Simulation Technique) combines solutions from Gaussian beams, viscoelastic finite-differences, and Kirchhoff extrapolation, to simulate large offset scattering problems. Several scattering hypotheses based on finite -difference simulations of short-range acoustic scattering from realistic seafloor models are presented. Anelastic sediments on the seafloor are found to have a significant impact on the backscattered field from low grazing angle scattering experiments. In addition, small perturbations in the sediment compressional velocity can also dramatically alter the backscattered field due to transitions between pre- and post-critical reflection regimes. The hybrid techniques are employed to simulate deep ocean acoustic reverberation data collected in the vicinity of the northern mid-Atlantic ridge. In general, the simulated data compare well to the real data. Noise partly due to side-lobes in the beam-pattern of the receiver

Superhydrophobic surfaces’ influence on streaming current based energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fouché, Florent; Dargent, Thomas; Coffinier, Yannick; Treizebré, Anthony; Vlandas, Alexis; Senez, Vincent

2016-11-01

The purpose of this paper is to report the design, fabrication and characterization of silicon-based microfluidic channels with superhydrophobic walls for energy harvesting. We present the fabrication step of silicon based streaming current energy harvester and the nanostructuration of the microchannel walls. We characterize the superhydrophobic properties of the surface in a closed system. Our preliminary results on the electrical characterization of the device show a 43% increase of power harvested with our superhydrophobic surface compared to a planar hydrophobic surface.

A compact ball screw based electromagnetic energy harvester for railroad application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Yu; Lin, Teng; Liu, Cheng; Yu, Jie; Zuo, Jianyong; Zuo, Lei

2018-03-01

To enable the smart technologies, such as the positive train controls, rail damage detection and track health monitoring on the railroad side, the electricity is required and in needed. In this paper, we proposed a novel ball-screw based electromagnetic energy harvester for railway track with mechanical-motion-rectifier (MMR) mechanism, to harvest the energy that usually dissipated and wasted during train induced track vibration. Ball screw based design reduces backlash during motion transmission, and MMR nonlinear characteristics with one way clutches makes the harvester convert the bi-direction track vibration into a generator's unidirectional rotation, which improves the transmission reliability and increases the energy harvesting efficiency. A systematic model combining train-rail-harvester was established to analyze the dynamic characteristic of the proposed railway energy, and lab and in-field tests were carried out to experimentally characterize the proposed energy harvester. In lab bench test showed the proposed harvester reached a 70% mechanical efficiency with a high sensitivity to the environment vibration. In filed test showed that a peak 7.8W phase power was achieved when a two marshaling type A metro train passed by with a 30 km/h.

Broadband piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting using a nonlinear energy sink

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Liuyang; Tang, Lihua; Liu, Kefu; Mace, Brian R.

2018-05-01

A piezoelectric vibration energy harvester (PVEH) is capable of converting waste or undesirable ambient vibration energy into useful electric energy. However, conventional PVEHs typically work in a narrow frequency range, leading to low efficiency in practical application. This work proposes a PVEH based on the principle of the nonlinear energy sink (NES) to achieve broadband energy harvesting. An alternating current circuit with a resistive load is first considered in the analysis of the dynamic properties and electric performance of the NES-based PEVH. Then, a standard rectifying direct current (DC) interface circuit is developed to evaluate the DC power from the PVEH. To gain insight into the NES mechanism involved, approximate analysis of the proposed PVEH systems under harmonic excitation is sought using the mixed multi-scale and harmonic balance method and the Newton–Raphson harmonic balance method. In addition, an equivalent circuit model (ECM) of the electromechanical system is derived and circuit simulations are conducted to explore and validate the energy harvesting and vibration absorption performance of the proposed NES-based PVEH. The response is also compared with that obtained by direct numerical integration of the equations of motion. Finally, the optimal resistance to obtain the maximum DC power is determined based on the Newton–Raphson harmonic balance method and validated by the ECM. In general, the NES-based PVEH can absorb the vibration from the primary structure and collect electric energy within a broad frequency range effectively.

RF Power Transfer, Energy Harvesting, and Power Management Strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abouzied, Mohamed Ali Mohamed

Energy harvesting is the way to capture green energy. This can be thought of as a recycling process where energy is converted from one form (here, non-electrical) to another (here, electrical). This is done on the large energy scale as well as low energy scale. The former can enable sustainable operation of facilities, while the latter can have a significant impact on the problems of energy constrained portable applications. Different energy sources can be complementary to one another and combining multiple-source is of great importance. In particular, RF energy harvesting is a natural choice for the portable applications. There are many advantages, such as cordless operation and light-weight. Moreover, the needed infra-structure can possibly be incorporated with wearable and portable devices. RF energy harvesting is an enabling key player for Internet of Things technology. The RF energy harvesting systems consist of external antennas, LC matching networks, RF rectifiers for ac to dc conversion, and sometimes power management. Moreover, combining different energy harvesting sources is essential for robustness and sustainability. Wireless power transfer has recently been applied for battery charging of portable devices. This charging process impacts the daily experience of every human who uses electronic applications. Instead of having many types of cumbersome cords and many different standards while the users are responsible to connect periodically to ac outlets, the new approach is to have the transmitters ready in the near region and can transfer power wirelessly to the devices whenever needed. Wireless power transfer consists of a dc to ac conversion transmitter, coupled inductors between transmitter and receiver, and an ac to dc conversion receiver. Alternative far field operation is still tested for health issues. So, the focus in this study is on near field. The goals of this study are to investigate the possibilities of RF energy harvesting from various

Development of enhanced piezoelectric energy harvester induced by human motion.

PubMed

Minami, Y; Nakamachi, E

2012-01-01

In this study, a high frequency piezoelectric energy harvester converted from the human low vibrated motion energy was newly developed. This hybrid energy harvester consists of the unimorph piezoelectric cantilever and a couple of permanent magnets. One magnet was attached at the end of cantilever, and the counterpart magnet was set at the end of the pendulum. The mechanical energy provided through the human walking motion, which is a typical ubiquitous presence of vibration, is converted to the electric energy via the piezoelectric cantilever vibration system. At first, we studied the energy convert mechanism and the performance of our energy harvester, where the resonance free vibration of unimorph cantilever with one permanent magnet under a rather high frequency was induced by the artificial low frequency vibration. The counterpart magnet attached on the pendulum. Next, we equipped the counterpart permanent magnet pendulum, which was fluctuated under a very low frequency by the human walking, and the piezoelectric cantilever, which had the permanent magnet at the end. The low-to-high frequency convert "hybrid system" can be characterized as an enhanced energy harvest one. We examined and obtained maximum values of voltage and power in this system, as 1.2V and 1.2 µW. Those results show the possibility to apply for the energy harvester in the portable and implantable Bio-MEMS devices.

Stochastic Routing and Scheduling Policies for Energy Harvesting Communication Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calvo-Fullana, Miguel; Anton-Haro, Carles; Matamoros, Javier; Ribeiro, Alejandro

2018-07-01

In this paper, we study the joint routing-scheduling problem in energy harvesting communication networks. Our policies, which are based on stochastic subgradient methods on the dual domain, act as an energy harvesting variant of the stochastic family of backpresure algorithms. Specifically, we propose two policies: (i) the Stochastic Backpressure with Energy Harvesting (SBP-EH), in which a node's routing-scheduling decisions are determined by the difference between the Lagrange multipliers associated to their queue stability constraints and their neighbors'; and (ii) the Stochastic Soft Backpressure with Energy Harvesting (SSBP-EH), an improved algorithm where the routing-scheduling decision is of a probabilistic nature. For both policies, we show that given sustainable data and energy arrival rates, the stability of the data queues over all network nodes is guaranteed. Numerical results corroborate the stability guarantees and illustrate the minimal gap in performance that our policies offer with respect to classical ones which work with an unlimited energy supply.

Harvesting Energy from the Counterbalancing (Weaving) Movement in Bicycle Riding

PubMed Central

Yang, Yoonseok; Yeo, Jeongjin; Priya, Shashank

2012-01-01

Bicycles are known to be rich source of kinetic energy, some of which is available for harvesting during speedy and balanced maneuvers by the user. A conventional dynamo attached to the rim can generate a large amount of output power at an expense of extra energy input from the user. However, when applying energy conversion technology to human powered equipments, it is important to minimize the increase in extra muscular activity and to maximize the efficiency of human movements. This study proposes a novel energy harvesting methodology that utilizes lateral oscillation of bicycle frame (weaving) caused by user weight shifting movements in order to increase the pedaling force in uphill riding or during quick speed-up. Based on the 3D motion analysis, we designed and implemented the prototype of an electro-dynamic energy harvester that can be mounted on the bicycle's handlebar to collect energy from the side-to-side movement. The harvester was found to generate substantial electric output power of 6.6 mW from normal road riding. It was able to generate power even during uphill riding which has never been shown with other approaches. Moreover, harvesting of energy from weaving motion seems to increase the economy of cycling by helping efficient usage of human power. PMID:23112598

Harvesting energy from the counterbalancing (weaving) movement in bicycle riding.

PubMed

Yang, Yoonseok; Yeo, Jeongjin; Priya, Shashank

2012-01-01

Bicycles are known to be rich source of kinetic energy, some of which is available for harvesting during speedy and balanced maneuvers by the user. A conventional dynamo attached to the rim can generate a large amount of output power at an expense of extra energy input from the user. However, when applying energy conversion technology to human powered equipments, it is important to minimize the increase in extra muscular activity and to maximize the efficiency of human movements. This study proposes a novel energy harvesting methodology that utilizes lateral oscillation of bicycle frame (weaving) caused by user weight shifting movements in order to increase the pedaling force in uphill riding or during quick speed-up. Based on the 3D motion analysis, we designed and implemented the prototype of an electro-dynamic energy harvester that can be mounted on the bicycle's handlebar to collect energy from the side-to-side movement. The harvester was found to generate substantial electric output power of 6.6 mW from normal road riding. It was able to generate power even during uphill riding which has never been shown with other approaches. Moreover, harvesting of energy from weaving motion seems to increase the economy of cycling by helping efficient usage of human power.

Energy harvesting from torsions of patterned piezoelectrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cha, Youngsu; You, Hangil

2018-03-01

In this paper, we investigate the feasibility of energy harvesting from the torsions using a piezoelectric beam. The piezoelectric beam is partially patterned and is tested in an experimental setup to force pure torsional deformation. In particular, the beam consists of two identical piezoelectric parts attached on one side of a supporting substrate. We propose a model for the energy harvesting system through the equations for a slender composite beam with the physical properties and the electromechanical coupling equations of the piezoelectric material. The theoretical predictions are validated by the comparison with the experimental results.

Selective current collecting design for spring-type energy harvesters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Dongjin; Roh, Hee Seok; Kim, Yeontae

2015-01-01

Here we present a high performance spring-type piezoelectric energy harvester that selectively collects current from the inner part of a spring shell. We analyzed themain reason behind the low efficiency of the initial design using finite element models and proposed a selective current collecting design that can considerably improve the electrical conversion efficiency of the energy harvester. We found that the newly designed energy harvester increases the output voltage by 8 times leading to an output power of 2.21 mW under an impulsive load of 2.18 N when compared with the conventional design. We envision that selective current collecting designmore » will be used in spring-based self-powered active sensors and energy scavenging devices.« less

Modelling of a bridge-shaped nonlinear piezoelectric energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gafforelli, G.; Xu, R.; Corigliano, A.; Kim, S. G.

2013-12-01

Piezoelectric MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) energy harvesting is an attractive technology for harvesting small magnitudes of energy from ambient vibrations. Increasing the operating frequency bandwidth of such devices is one of the major issues for real world applications. A MEMS-scale doubly clamped nonlinear beam resonator is designed and developed to demonstrate very wide bandwidth and high power density. In this paper a first complete theoretical discussion of nonlinear resonating piezoelectric energy harvesting is provided. The sectional behaviour of the beam is studied through the Classical Lamination Theory (CLT) specifically modified to introduce the piezoelectric coupling and nonlinear Green-Lagrange strain tensor. A lumped parameter model is built through Rayleigh-Ritz Method and the resulting nonlinear coupled equations are solved in the frequency domain through the Harmonic Balance Method (HBM). Finally, the influence of external load resistance on the dynamic behaviour is studied. The theoretical model shows that nonlinear resonant harvesters have much wider power bandwidth than that of linear resonators but their maximum power is still bounded by the mechanical damping as is the case for linear resonating harvesters.

Energy neutral protocol based on hierarchical routing techniques for energy harvesting wireless sensor network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muhammad, Umar B.; Ezugwu, Absalom E.; Ofem, Paulinus O.; Rajamäki, Jyri; Aderemi, Adewumi O.

2017-06-01

Recently, researchers in the field of wireless sensor networks have resorted to energy harvesting techniques that allows energy to be harvested from the ambient environment to power sensor nodes. Using such Energy harvesting techniques together with proper routing protocols, an Energy Neutral state can be achieved so that sensor nodes can run perpetually. In this paper, we propose an Energy Neutral LEACH routing protocol which is an extension to the traditional LEACH protocol. The goal of the proposed protocol is to use Gateway node in each cluster so as to reduce the data transmission ranges of cluster head nodes. Simulation results show that the proposed routing protocol achieves a higher throughput and ensure the energy neutral status of the entire network.

A piezoelectric energy harvester for broadband rotational excitation using buckled beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Zhengqiu; Kitio Kwuimy, C. A.; Wang, Zhiguo; Huang, Wenbin

2018-01-01

This paper proposes a rotational energy harvester using a piezoelectric bistable buckled beam to harvest low-speed rotational energy. The proposed harvester consists of a piezoelectric buckled beam with a center magnet, and a rotary magnet pair with opposite magnetic poles mounted on a revolving host. The magnetic plucking is used to harvest the angular kinetic energy of the host. The nonlinear snap-through mechanism is utilized to improve the vibration displacement and output voltage of the piezoelectric layer over a wide rotation frequency range. Theoretical simulation and experimental results show that the proposed energy harvester can yield a stable average output power ranging between 6.91-48.01 μW over a rotation frequency range of 1-14 Hz across a resistance load of 110 kΩ. Furthermore, dual attraction magnets were employed to overcome the suppression phenomenon at higher frequencies, which yields a broadband and flat frequency response over 6-14 Hz with the output power reaching 42.19-65.44 μW, demonstrating the great potential of the bistable buckled beam for wideband rotation motion energy harvesting.

Energy harvesting from controlled buckling of piezoelectric beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ansari, M. H.; Karami, M. Amin

2015-11-01

A piezoelectric vibration energy harvester is presented that can generate electricity from the weight of passing cars or crowds. The energy harvester consists of a piezoelectric beam, which buckles when the device is stepped on. The energy harvester can have a horizontal or vertical configuration. In the vertical (direct) configuration, the piezoelectric beam is vertical and directly sustains the weight of the vehicles or people. In the horizontal (indirect) configuration, the vertical weight is transferred to a horizontal axial force through a scissor-like mechanism. Buckling of the beam results in significant stresses and, thus, large power production. However, if the beam’s buckling is not controlled, the beam will fracture. To prevent this, the axial deformation is constrained to limit the deformations of the beam. In this paper, the energy harvester is analytically modeled. The considered piezoelectric beam is a general non-uniform beam. The natural frequencies, mode shapes, and the critical buckling force corresponding to each mode shape are calculated. The electro-mechanical coupling and the geometric nonlinearities are included in the model. The design criteria for the device are discussed. It is demonstrated that a device, realized with commonly used piezoelectric patches, can generate tens of milliwatts of power from passing car traffic. The proposed device could also be implemented in the sidewalks or integrated in shoe soles for energy generation. One of the key features of the device is its frequency up-conversion characteristics. The piezoelectric beam undergoes free vibrations each time the weight is applied to or removed from the energy harvester. The frequency of the free vibrations is orders of magnitude larger than the frequency of the load. The device is, thus, both efficient and insensitive to the frequency of the force excitations.

Energy harvesting: an integrated view of materials, devices and applications.

PubMed

Radousky, H B; Liang, H

2012-12-21

Energy harvesting refers to the set of processes by which useful energy is captured from waste, environmental, or mechanical sources and is converted into a usable form. The discipline of energy harvesting is a broad topic that includes established methods and materials such as photovoltaics and thermoelectrics, as well as more recent technologies that convert mechanical energy, magnetic energy and waste heat to electricity. This article will review various state-of-the-art materials and devices for direct energy conversion and in particular will include multistep energy conversion approaches. The article will highlight the nano-materials science underlying energy harvesting principles and devices, but also include more traditional bulk processes and devices as appropriate and synergistic. Emphasis is placed on device-design innovations that lead to higher efficiency energy harvesting or conversion technologies ranging from the cm/mm-scale down to MEMS/NEMS (micro- and nano-electromechanical systems) devices. Theoretical studies are reviewed, which address transport properties, crystal chemistry, thermodynamic analysis, energy transfer, system efficiency and device operation. New developments in experimental methods; device design and fabrication; nanostructured materials fabrication; materials properties; and device performance measurement techniques are discussed.

Energy harvesting: an integrated view of materials, devices and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radousky, H. B.; Liang, H.

2012-12-01

Energy harvesting refers to the set of processes by which useful energy is captured from waste, environmental, or mechanical sources and is converted into a usable form. The discipline of energy harvesting is a broad topic that includes established methods and materials such as photovoltaics and thermoelectrics, as well as more recent technologies that convert mechanical energy, magnetic energy and waste heat to electricity. This article will review various state-of-the-art materials and devices for direct energy conversion and in particular will include multistep energy conversion approaches. The article will highlight the nano-materials science underlying energy harvesting principles and devices, but also include more traditional bulk processes and devices as appropriate and synergistic. Emphasis is placed on device-design innovations that lead to higher efficiency energy harvesting or conversion technologies ranging from the cm/mm-scale down to MEMS/NEMS (micro- and nano-electromechanical systems) devices. Theoretical studies are reviewed, which address transport properties, crystal chemistry, thermodynamic analysis, energy transfer, system efficiency and device operation. New developments in experimental methods; device design and fabrication; nanostructured materials fabrication; materials properties; and device performance measurement techniques are discussed.

Energy harvesting by means of flow-induced vibrations on aerospace vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Daochun; Wu, Yining; Da Ronch, Andrea; Xiang, Jinwu

2016-10-01

This paper reviews the design, implementation, and demonstration of energy harvesting devices that exploit flow-induced vibrations as the main source of energy. Starting with a presentation of various concepts of energy harvesters that are designed to benefit from a general class of flow-induced vibrations, specific attention is then given at those technologies that may offer, today or in the near future, a potential benefit to extend the operational capabilities and to monitor critical parameters of unmanned aerial vehicles. Various phenomena characterized by flow-induced vibrations are discussed, including limit cycle oscillations of plates and wing sections, vortex-induced and galloping oscillations of bluff bodies, vortex-induced vibrations of downstream structures, and atmospheric turbulence and gusts. It was found that linear or linearized modeling approaches are commonly employed to support the design phase of energy harvesters. As a result, highly nonlinear and coupled phenomena that characterize flow-induced vibrations are neglected in the design process. The Authors encourage a shift in the current design paradigm: considering coupled nonlinear phenomena, and adequate modeling tools to support their analysis, from a design limitation to a design opportunity. Special emphasis is placed on identifying designs and implementations applicable to aircraft configurations. Application fields of flow-induced vibrations-based energy harvesters are discussed including power supply for wireless sensor networks and simultaneous energy harvest and control. A large body of work on energy harvesters is included in this review journal. Whereas most of the references claim direct applications to unmanned aerial vehicles, it is apparent that, in most of the cases presented, the working principles and characteristics of the energy harvesters are incompatible with any aerospace applications. Finally, the challenges that hold back the integration of energy harvesting

Energy Harvesting from the Animal/Human Body for Self-Powered Electronics.

PubMed

Dagdeviren, Canan; Li, Zhou; Wang, Zhong Lin

2017-06-21

Living subjects (i.e., humans and animals) have abundant sources of energy in chemical, thermal, and mechanical forms. The use of these energies presents a viable way to overcome the battery capacity limitation that constrains the long-term operation of wearable/implantable devices. The intersection of novel materials and fabrication techniques offers boundless possibilities for the benefit of human health and well-being via various types of energy harvesters. This review summarizes the existing approaches that have been demonstrated to harvest energy from the bodies of living subjects for self-powered electronics. We present material choices, device layouts, and operation principles of these energy harvesters with a focus on in vivo applications. We discuss a broad range of energy harvesters placed in or on various body parts of human and animal models. We conclude with an outlook of future research in which the integration of various energy harvesters with advanced electronics can provide a new platform for the development of novel technologies for disease diagnostics, treatment, and prevention.

Energy transfer dynamics in Light-Harvesting Dendrimers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melinger, Joseph S.; McMorrow, Dale; Kleiman, Valeria D.

2002-03-01

We explore energy transfer dynamics in light-harvesting phenylacetylene symmetric and asymmetric dendrimers. Femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy is used to probe the ultrafast dynamics of electronic excitations in these dendrimers. The backbone of the macromolecule consists of branches of increasing conjugation length, creating an energy gradient, which funnels energy to an accepting perylene trap. In the case of the symmetric dendrimer (nanostar), the energy transfer efficiency is known to approach nearly unity, although the nature and timescale of the energy transfer process is still unknown. For the asymmetric dendrimers, energy transfer efficiencies are very high, with the possibility of more complex transfer processes. We experimentally monitor the transport of excitons through the light-harvesting dendrimer. The transients show a number of components, with timescales ranging from <300fs to several tens of picoseconds, revealing the complex photophysics taking place in these macromolecules. We interpret our results in terms of the Förster mechanism in which energy transfer occurs through dipole-dipole interactions.

Optimized energy harvesting materials and generator design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graf, Christian; Hitzbleck, Julia; Feller, Torsten; Clauberg, Karin; Wagner, Joachim; Krause, Jens; Maas, Jürgen

2013-04-01

Electroactive polymers are soft capacitors made of thin elastic and electrically insulating films coated with compliant electrodes offering a large amount of deformation. They can either be used as actuators by applying an electric charge or they can be used as energy converters based on the electrostatic principle. These unique properties enable the industrial development of highly efficient and environmentally sustainable energy converters, which opens up the possibility to further exploit large renewable and inexhaustible energy sources like wind and water that are widely unused otherwise. Compared to other electroactive polymer materials, polyurethanes, whose formulations have been systematically modified and optimized for energy harvesting applications, have certain advantages over silicones and acrylates. The inherently higher dipole content results in a significantly increased permittivity and the dielectric breakdown strength is higher, too, whereby the overall specific energy, a measure for the energy gain, is better by at least factor ten, i.e. more than ten times the energy can be gained out of the same amount of material. In order to reduce conduction losses on the electrode during charging and discharging, a highly conductive bidirectional stretchable electrode has been developed. Other important material parameters like stiffness and bulk resistivity have been optimized to fit the requirements. To realize high power energy harvesting systems, substantial amounts of electroactive polymer material are necessary as well as a smart mechanical and electrical design of the generator. In here we report on different measures to evaluate and improve electroactive polymer materials for energy harvesting by e.g. reducing the defect occurrence and improving the electrode behavior.

Motorcycle waste heat energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlichting, Alexander D.; Anton, Steven R.; Inman, Daniel J.

2008-03-01

Environmental concerns coupled with the depletion of fuel sources has led to research on ethanol, fuel cells, and even generating electricity from vibrations. Much of the research in these areas is stalling due to expensive or environmentally contaminating processes, however recent breakthroughs in materials and production has created a surge in research on waste heat energy harvesting devices. The thermoelectric generators (TEGs) used in waste heat energy harvesting are governed by the Thermoelectric, or Seebeck, effect, generating electricity from a temperature gradient. Some research to date has featured platforms such as heavy duty diesel trucks, model airplanes, and automobiles, attempting to either eliminate heavy batteries or the alternator. A motorcycle is another platform that possesses some very promising characteristics for waste heat energy harvesting, mainly because the exhaust pipes are exposed to significant amounts of air flow. A 1995 Kawasaki Ninja 250R was used for these trials. The module used in these experiments, the Melcor HT3-12-30, produced an average of 0.4694 W from an average temperature gradient of 48.73 °C. The mathematical model created from the Thermoelectric effect equation and the mean Seebeck coefficient displayed by the module produced an average error from the experimental data of 1.75%. Although the module proved insufficient to practically eliminate the alternator on a standard motorcycle, the temperature data gathered as well as the examination of a simple, yet accurate, model represent significant steps in the process of creating a TEG capable of doing so.

Aeroelastic flutter energy harvesters self-polarized by triboelectric effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez, M.; Boisseau, S.; Geisler, M.; Gasnier, P.; Willemin, J.; Despesse, G.; Reboud, J. L.

2018-01-01

This paper presents the performances of several electrostatic flutter energy harvesters tested in a wind tunnel between 0 and 20 m s-1. The main idea is to use the flutter capability of thin flexible films confined between lateral walls to induce simultaneously the capacitance variations and the electrostatic polarization required by the triboelectric/electrostatic conversion. This technology provides thin and flexible devices and solve the electret’s stability issue (Perez et al 2015 Smart Mater. Struct., Perez et al 2015 New Circuits and Systems). Our prototypes (<16 cm2) have a quick startup (from 3 m s-1) and an electrical power-flux density from 0.35 μW cm-2@3 m s-1 (light breeze) to 35 μW cm-2@20 m s-1 (fresh gale). A Maximum Power Point circuit has been developed to efficiently use the power provided by the energy harvesters. The energy harvester combined with its power management circuit has finally been used to supply an 868 MHz wireless sensor node with temperature and acceleration measurements, validating the complete energy harvesting chain.

Harvesting Broad Frequency Band Blue Energy by a Triboelectric-Electromagnetic Hybrid Nanogenerator.

PubMed

Wen, Zhen; Guo, Hengyu; Zi, Yunlong; Yeh, Min-Hsin; Wang, Xin; Deng, Jianan; Wang, Jie; Li, Shengming; Hu, Chenguo; Zhu, Liping; Wang, Zhong Lin

2016-07-26

Ocean wave associated energy is huge, but it has little use toward world energy. Although such blue energy is capable of meeting all of our energy needs, there is no effective way to harvest it due to its low frequency and irregular amplitude, which may restrict the application of traditional power generators. In this work, we report a hybrid nanogenerator that consists of a spiral-interdigitated-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator (S-TENG) and a wrap-around electromagnetic generator (W-EMG) for harvesting ocean energy. In this design, the S-TENG can be fully isolated from the external environment through packaging and indirectly driven by the noncontact attractive forces between pairs of magnets, and W-EMG can be easily hybridized. Notably, the hybrid nanogenerator could generate electricity under either rotation mode or fluctuation mode to collect energy in ocean tide, current, and wave energy due to the unique structural design. In addition, the characteristics and advantages of outputs indicate that the S-TENG is irreplaceable for harvesting low rotation speeds (<100 rpm) or motion frequencies (<2 Hz) energy, which fits the frequency range for most of the water wave based blue energy, while W-EMG is able to produce larger output at high frequencies (>10 Hz). The complementary output can be maximized and hybridized for harvesting energy in a broad frequency range. Finally, a single hybrid nanogenerator unit was demonstrated to harvest blue energy as a practical power source to drive several LEDs under different simulated water wave conditions. We also proposed a blue energy harvesting system floating on the ocean surface that could simultaneously harvest wind, solar, and wave energy. The proposed hybrid nanogenerator renders an effective and sustainable progress in practical applications of the hybrid nanogenerator toward harvesting water wave energy offered by nature.

Average Throughput Performance of Myopic Policy in Energy Harvesting Wireless Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Gul, Omer Melih; Demirekler, Mubeccel

2017-09-26

This paper considers a single-hop wireless sensor network where a fusion center collects data from M energy harvesting wireless sensors. The harvested energy is stored losslessly in an infinite-capacity battery at each sensor. In each time slot, the fusion center schedules K sensors for data transmission over K orthogonal channels. The fusion center does not have direct knowledge on the battery states of sensors, or the statistics of their energy harvesting processes. The fusion center only has information of the outcomes of previous transmission attempts. It is assumed that the sensors are data backlogged, there is no battery leakage and the communication is error-free. An energy harvesting sensor can transmit data to the fusion center whenever being scheduled only if it has enough energy for data transmission. We investigate average throughput of Round-Robin type myopic policy both analytically and numerically under an average reward (throughput) criterion. We show that Round-Robin type myopic policy achieves optimality for some class of energy harvesting processes although it is suboptimal for a broad class of energy harvesting processes.

Average Throughput Performance of Myopic Policy in Energy Harvesting Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Demirekler, Mubeccel

2017-01-01

This paper considers a single-hop wireless sensor network where a fusion center collects data from M energy harvesting wireless sensors. The harvested energy is stored losslessly in an infinite-capacity battery at each sensor. In each time slot, the fusion center schedules K sensors for data transmission over K orthogonal channels. The fusion center does not have direct knowledge on the battery states of sensors, or the statistics of their energy harvesting processes. The fusion center only has information of the outcomes of previous transmission attempts. It is assumed that the sensors are data backlogged, there is no battery leakage and the communication is error-free. An energy harvesting sensor can transmit data to the fusion center whenever being scheduled only if it has enough energy for data transmission. We investigate average throughput of Round-Robin type myopic policy both analytically and numerically under an average reward (throughput) criterion. We show that Round-Robin type myopic policy achieves optimality for some class of energy harvesting processes although it is suboptimal for a broad class of energy harvesting processes. PMID:28954420

Low power interface IC's for electrostatic energy harvesting applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kempitiya, Asantha

The application of wireless distributed micro-sensor systems ranges from equipment diagnostic and control to real time structural and biomedical monitoring. A major obstacle in developing autonomous micro-sensor networks is the need for local electric power supply, since using a battery is often not a viable solution. This void has sparked significant interest in micro-scale power generators based on electrostatic, piezoelectric and electromagnetic energy conversion that can scavenge ambient energy from the environment. In comparison to existing energy harvesting techniques, electrostatic-based power generation is attractive as it can be integrated using mainstream silicon technologies while providing higher power densities through miniaturization. However the power output of reported electrostatic micro-generators to date does not meet the communication and computation requirements of wireless sensor nodes. The objective of this thesis is to investigate novel CMOS-based energy harvesting circuit (EHC) architectures to increase the level of harvested mechanical energy in electrostatic converters. The electronic circuits that facilitate mechanical to electrical energy conversion employing variable capacitors can either have synchronous or asynchronous architectures. The later does not require synchronization of electrical events with mechanical motion, which eliminates difficulties in gate clocking and the power consumption associated with complex control circuitry. However, the implementation of the EHC with the converter can be detrimental to system performance when done without concurrent optimization of both elements, an aspect mainly overlooked in the literature. System level analysis is performed to show that there is an optimum value for either the storage capacitor or cycle number for maximum scavenging of ambient energy. The analysis also shows that maximum power is extracted when the system approaches synchronous operation. However, there is a region of

Vibration energy harvesting for unmanned aerial vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anton, Steven R.; Inman, Daniel J.

2008-03-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a critical component of many military operations. Over the last few decades, the evolution of UAVs has given rise to increasingly smaller aircraft. Along with the development of smaller UAVs, termed mini UAVs, has come issues involving the endurance of the aircraft. Endurance in mini UAVs is problematic because of the limited size of the fuel systems that can be incorporated into the aircraft. A large portion of the total mass of many electric powered mini UAVs, for example, is the rechargeable battery power source. Energy harvesting is an attractive technology for mini UAVs because it offers the potential to increase their endurance without adding significant mass or the need to increase the size of the fuel system. This paper investigates the possibility of harvesting vibration and solar energy in a mini UAV. Experimentation has been carried out on a remote controlled (RC) glider aircraft with a 1.8 m wing span. This aircraft was chosen to replicate the current electric mini UAVs used by the military today. The RC glider was modified to include two piezoelectric patches placed at the roots of the wings and a cantilevered piezoelectric beam installed in the fuselage to harvest energy from wing vibrations and rigid body motions of the aircraft, as well as two thin film photovoltaic panels attached to the top of the wings to harvest energy from sunlight. Flight testing has been performed and the power output of the piezoelectric and photovoltaic devices has been examined.

Novel composite piezoelectric material for energy harvesting applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janusas, Giedrius; Guobiene, Asta; Palevicius, Arvydas; Prosycevas, Igoris; Ponelyte, Sigita; Baltrusaitis, Valentinas; Sakalys, Rokas

2015-04-01

Past few decades were concentrated on researches related to effective energy harvesting applied in modern technologies, MEMS or MOEMS systems. There are many methods for harvesting energy as, for example, usage of electromagnetic devices, but most dramatic changes were noticed in the usage of piezoelectric materials in small scale devices. Major limitation faced was too small generated power by piezoelectric materials or high resonant frequencies of such smallscale harvesters. In this research, novel composite piezoelectric material was created by mixing PZT powder with 20% solution of polyvinyl butyral in benzyl alcohol. Obtained paste was screen printed on copper foil using 325 mesh stainless steel screen and dried for 30 min at 100 °C. Polyvinyl butyral ensures good adhesion and flexibility of a new material at the conditions that requires strong binding. Five types of a composite piezoelectric material with different concentrations of PZT (40%, 50%, 60%, 70% and 80 %) were produced. As the results showed, these harvesters were able to transform mechanical strain energy into electric potential and, v.v. In experimental setup, electromagnetic shaker was used to excite energy harvester that is fixed in the custom-built clamp, while generated electric potential were registered with USB oscilloscope PICO 3424. The designed devices generate up to 80 μV at 50 Hz excitation. This property can be applied to power microsystem devices or to use them in portable electronics and wireless sensors. However, the main advantage of the created composite piezoelectric material is possibility to apply it on any uniform or nonuniform vibrating surface and to transform low frequency vibrations into electricity.

Relay selection in energy harvesting cooperative networks with rateless codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Kaiyan; Wang, Fei

2018-04-01

This paper investigates the relay selection in energy harvesting cooperative networks, where the relays harvests energy from the radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted by a source, and the optimal relay is selected and uses the harvested energy to assist the information transmission from the source to its destination. Both source and the selected relay transmit information using rateless code, which allows the destination recover original information after collecting codes bits marginally surpass the entropy of original information. In order to improve transmission performance and efficiently utilize the harvested power, the optimal relay is selected. The optimization problem are formulated to maximize the achievable information rates of the system. Simulation results demonstrate that our proposed relay selection scheme outperform other strategies.

Microfabrication and integration of a sol-gel PZT folded spring energy harvester.

PubMed

Lueke, Jonathan; Badr, Ahmed; Lou, Edmond; Moussa, Walied A

2015-05-26

This paper presents the methodology and challenges experienced in the microfabrication, packaging, and integration of a fixed-fixed folded spring piezoelectric energy harvester. A variety of challenges were overcome in the fabrication of the energy harvesters, such as the diagnosis and rectification of sol-gel PZT film quality and adhesion issues. A packaging and integration methodology was developed to allow for the characterizing the harvesters under a base vibration. The conditioning circuitry developed allowed for a complete energy harvesting system, consisting a harvester, a voltage doubler, a voltage regulator and a NiMH battery. A feasibility study was undertaken with the designed conditioning circuitry to determine the effect of the input parameters on the overall performance of the circuit. It was found that the maximum efficiency does not correlate to the maximum charging current supplied to the battery. The efficiency and charging current must be balanced to achieve a high output and a reasonable output current. The development of the complete energy harvesting system allows for the direct integration of the energy harvesting technology into existing power management schemes for wireless sensing.

Energy-harvesting shock absorber with a mechanical motion rectifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhongjie; Zuo, Lei; Kuang, Jian; Luhrs, George

2013-02-01

Energy-harvesting shock absorbers are able to recover the energy otherwise dissipated in the suspension vibration while simultaneously suppressing the vibration induced by road roughness. They can work as a controllable damper as well as an energy generator. An innovative design of regenerative shock absorbers is proposed in this paper, with the advantage of significantly improving the energy harvesting efficiency and reducing the impact forces caused by oscillation. The key component is a unique motion mechanism, which we called ‘mechanical motion rectifier (MMR)’, to convert the oscillatory vibration into unidirectional rotation of the generator. An implementation of a MMR-based harvester with high compactness is introduced and prototyped. A dynamic model is created to analyze the general properties of the motion rectifier by making an analogy between mechanical systems and electrical circuits. The model is capable of analyzing electrical and mechanical components at the same time. Both simulation and experiments are carried out to verify the modeling and the advantages. The prototype achieved over 60% efficiency at high frequency, much better than conventional regenerative shock absorbers in oscillatory motion. Furthermore, road tests are done to demonstrate the feasibility of the MMR shock absorber, in which more than 15 Watts of electricity is harvested while driving at 15 mph on a smooth paved road. The MMR-based design can also be used for other applications of vibration energy harvesting, such as from tall buildings or long bridges.

Energy harvesting from arterial blood pressure for powering embedded brain sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nanda, Aditya; Karami, M. Amin

2016-04-01

This paper investigates energy harvesting from arterial blood pressure via the piezoelectric effect by using a novel streaked cylinder geometry for the purpose of powering embedded micro-sensors in the brain. Initially, we look at the energy harvested by a piezoelectric cylinder placed inside an artery acted upon by blood pressure. Such an arrangement would be tantamount to constructing a stent out of piezoelectric materials. A stent is a cylinder placed in veins and arteries to prevent obstruction in blood flow. The governing equations of a conductor coated piezoelectric cylinder are obtained using Hamilton's principle. Pressure acting in arteries is radially directed and this is used to simplify the modal analysis and obtain the transfer function relating pressure to the induced voltage across the surface of the harvester. The power harvested by the cylindrical harvester is obtained for different shunt resistances. Radially directed pressure occurs elsewhere and we also look at harvesting energy from oil flow in pipelines. Although the energy harvested by the cylindrical energy harvester is significant at resonance, the natural frequency of the system is found to be very high. To decrease the natural frequency, we propose a novel streaked stent design by cutting it along the length, transforming it to a curved plate and decreasing the natural frequency. The governing equations corresponding to the new geometry are derived using Hamilton's principle and modal analysis is used to obtain the transfer function.

Feasibility of Energy Harvesting Using a Piezoelectric Tire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malotte, Christopher

While the piezoelectric effect has been around for some time, it has only recently caught interest as a potential sustainable energy harvesting device. Piezoelectric energy harvesting has been developed for shoes and panels, but has yet to be integrated into a marketable bicycle tire. For this thesis, the development and feasibility of a piezoelectric tire was done. This includes the development of a circuit that incorporates piezoceramic elements, energy harvesting circuitry, and an energy storage device. A single phase circuit was designed using an ac-dc diode rectifier. An electrolytic capacitor was used as the energy storage device. A financial feasibility was also done to determine targets for manufacturing cost and sales price. These models take into account market trends for high performance tires, economies of scale, and the possibility of government subsidies. This research will help understand the potential for the marketability of a piezoelectric energy harvesting tire that can create electricity for remote use. This study found that there are many obstacles that must be addressed before a piezoelectric tire can be marketed to the general public. The power output of this device is minuscule compared to an alkaline battery. In order for this device to approach the power output of an alkaline battery the weight of the device would also become an issue. Additionally this device is very costly compared to the average bicycle tire. Lastly, this device is extreme fragile and easily broken. In order for this device to become marketable the issues of power output, cost, weight, and durability must all be successfully overcome.

Flexible wearable sensor nodes with solar energy harvesting.

PubMed

Taiyang Wu; Arefin, Md Shamsul; Redoute, Jean-Michel; Yuce, Mehmet Rasit

2017-07-01

Wearable sensor nodes have gained a lot of attention during the past few years as they can monitor and record people's physical parameters in real time. Wearable sensor nodes can promote healthy lifestyles and prevent the occurrence of potential illness or injuries. This paper presents a flexible wearable sensor system powered by an efficient solar energy harvesting technique. It can measure the subject's heartbeats using a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor and perform activity monitoring using an accelerometer. The solar energy harvester adopts an output current based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm, which controls the solar panel to operate within its high output power range. The power consumption of the flexible sensor nodes has been investigated under different operation conditions. Experimental results demonstrate that wearable sensor nodes can work for more than 12 hours when they are powered by the solar energy harvester for 3 hours in the bright sunlight.

Energy harvesting concepts for small electric unmanned systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qidwai, Muhammad A.; Thomas, James P.; Kellogg, James C.; Baucom, Jared N.

2004-07-01

In this study, we identify and survey energy harvesting technologies for small electrically powered unmanned systems designed for long-term (>1 day) time-on-station missions. An environmental energy harvesting scheme will provide long-term, energy additions to the on-board energy source. We have identified four technologies that cover a broad array of available energy sources: solar, kinetic (wind) flow, autophagous structure-power (both combustible and metal air-battery systems) and electromagnetic (EM) energy scavenging. We present existing conceptual designs, critical system components, performance, constraints and state-of-readiness for each technology. We have concluded that the solar and autophagous technologies are relatively matured for small-scale applications and are capable of moderate power output levels (>1 W). We have identified key components and possible multifunctionalities in each technology. The kinetic flow and EM energy scavenging technologies will require more in-depth study before they can be considered for implementation. We have also realized that all of the harvesting systems require design and integration of various electrical, mechanical and chemical components, which will require modeling and optimization using hybrid mechatronics-circuit simulation tools. This study provides a starting point for detailed investigation into the proposed technologies for unmanned system applications under current development.

Strength analysis of piezoceramic materials for structural considerations in energy harvesting for UAVs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anton, S. R.; Erturk, A.; Inman, D. J.

2010-04-01

Vibration energy harvesting has received considerable attention in the research community over the past decade. Typical vibration harvesting systems are designed to be added on to existing host structures and capture ambient vibration energy. An interesting application of vibration energy harvesting exists in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), where a multifunctional approach, as opposed to the traditional method, is needed due to weight and aerodynamic considerations. The authors propose a multifunctional design for energy harvesting in UAVs where the piezoelectric harvesting device is integrated into the wing of a UAV and provides energy harvesting, energy storage, and load bearing capability. The brittle piezoceramic layer of the harvester is a critical member in load bearing applications; therefore, it is the goal of this research to investigate the bending strength of various common piezoceramic materials. Three-point bend tests are carried out on several piezoelectric ceramics including monolithic piezoceramics PZT-5A and PZT-5H, single crystal piezoelectric PMN-PZT, and commercially packaged QuickPack devices. Bending strength results are reported and can be used as a design tool in the development of piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting systems in which the active device is subjected to bending loads.

Performance modeling of unmanned aerial vehicles with on-board energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anton, Steven R.; Inman, Daniel J.

2011-03-01

The concept of energy harvesting in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has received much attention in recent years. Solar powered flight of small aircraft dates back to the 1970s when the first fully solar flight of an unmanned aircraft took place. Currently, research has begun to investigate harvesting ambient vibration energy during the flight of UAVs. The authors have recently developed multifunctional piezoelectric self-charging structures in which piezoelectric devices are combined with thin-film lithium batteries and a substrate layer in order to simultaneously harvest energy, store energy, and carry structural load. When integrated into mass and volume critical applications, such as unmanned aircraft, multifunctional devices can provide great benefit over conventional harvesting systems. A critical aspect of integrating any energy harvesting system into a UAV, however, is the potential effect that the additional system has on the performance of the aircraft. Added mass and increased drag can significantly degrade the flight performance of an aircraft, therefore, it is important to ensure that the addition of an energy harvesting system does not adversely affect the efficiency of a host aircraft. In this work, a system level approach is taken to examine the effects of adding both solar and piezoelectric vibration harvesting to a UAV test platform. A formulation recently presented in the literature is applied to describe the changes to the flight endurance of a UAV based on the power available from added harvesters and the mass of the harvesters. Details of the derivation of the flight endurance model are reviewed and the formulation is applied to an EasyGlider remote control foam hobbyist airplane, which is selected as the test platform for this study. A theoretical study is performed in which the normalized change in flight endurance is calculated based on the addition of flexible thin-film solar panels to the upper surface of the wings, as well as the addition

Vibration energy harvesting with polyphase AC transducers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCullagh, James J.; Scruggs, Jeffrey T.; Asai, Takehiko

2016-04-01

Three-phase transduction affords certain advantages in the efficient electromechanical conversion of energy, especially at higher power scales. This paper considers the use of a three-phase electric machine for harvesting energy from vibrations. We consider the use of vector control techniques, which are common in the area of industrial electronics, for optimizing the feedback loops in a stochastically-excited energy harvesting system. To do this, we decompose the problem into two separate feedback loops for direct and quadrature current components, and illustrate how each might be separately optimized to maximize power output. In a simple analytical example, we illustrate how these techniques might be used to gain insight into the tradeoffs in the design of the electronic hardware and the choice of bus voltage.

Cooperative Energy Harvesting-Adaptive MAC Protocol for WBANs

PubMed Central

Esteves, Volker; Antonopoulos, Angelos; Kartsakli, Elli; Puig-Vidal, Manel; Miribel-Català, Pere; Verikoukis, Christos

2015-01-01

In this paper, we introduce a cooperative medium access control (MAC) protocol, named cooperative energy harvesting (CEH)-MAC, that adapts its operation to the energy harvesting (EH) conditions in wireless body area networks (WBANs). In particular, the proposed protocol exploits the EH information in order to set an idle time that allows the relay nodes to charge their batteries and complete the cooperation phase successfully. Extensive simulations have shown that CEH-MAC significantly improves the network performance in terms of throughput, delay and energy efficiency compared to the cooperative operation of the baseline IEEE 802.15.6 standard. PMID:26029950

Stability-Aware Geographic Routing in Energy Harvesting Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Hieu, Tran Dinh; Dung, Le The; Kim, Byung-Seo

2016-01-01

A new generation of wireless sensor networks that harvest energy from environmental sources such as solar, vibration, and thermoelectric to power sensor nodes is emerging to solve the problem of energy limitation. Based on the photo-voltaic model, this research proposes a stability-aware geographic routing for reliable data transmissions in energy-harvesting wireless sensor networks (EH-WSNs) to provide a reliable routes selection method and potentially achieve an unlimited network lifetime. Specifically, the influences of link quality, represented by the estimated packet reception rate, on network performance is investigated. Simulation results show that the proposed method outperforms an energy-harvesting-aware method in terms of energy consumption, the average number of hops, and the packet delivery ratio. PMID:27187414

Human-motion energy harvester for autonomous body area sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geisler, M.; Boisseau, S.; Perez, M.; Gasnier, P.; Willemin, J.; Ait-Ali, I.; Perraud, S.

2017-03-01

This paper reports on a method to optimize an electromagnetic energy harvester converting the low-frequency body motion and aimed at powering wireless body area sensors. This method is based on recorded accelerations, and mechanical and transduction models that enable an efficient joint optimization of the structural parameters. An optimized prototype of 14.8 mmØ × 52 mm, weighting 20 g, has generated up to 4.95 mW in a resistive load when worn at the arm during a run, and 6.57 mW when hand-shaken. Among the inertial electromagnetic energy harvesters reported so far, this one exhibits one of the highest power densities (up to 730 μW cm-3). The energy harvester was finally used to power a bluetooth low energy wireless sensor node with accelerations measurements at 25 Hz.

Development of an Energy Harvesting Device using Piezoceramic Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulkarni, Vainatey

Piezoelectric energy harvesters are increasingly being pursued for their potential to replace finite-life batteries in wireless sensor modules and for their potential to create self-powered devices. This work presents the development of a novel piezoelectric harvester that attempts to improve upon the power output limitations of current piezoelectric harvesting technology. This novel harvester uses the concept of torsion on a tube to produce shear stresses and hence uses improved piezoelectric properties of the shear mode of piezoceramics to generate higher power outputs. This concept is first presented in this work and a proof-of-concept prototype is utilized to experimentally demonstrate the validity of this novel device. After this, the behaviour of the novel harvester is explored through an investigation into three cross-section geometries of the torsion tube and varying geometries of the eccentric mass using three different comparison metrics. Through this, it is observed that configurations with higher torsional compliance and high eccentric mass inertias have the potential for the highest power output and highest harvester effectiveness. However, the mechanical damping in the system is also found to significantly impact the harvester output resulting in prototypes of the various configurations not performing as expected. As a result of this discrepancy, the factors affecting the performance of the harvester are analyzed in greater detail through the development of a mathematical model that is then used to develop a set of guidelines to direct the design of a torsion harvester for a desired application. These guidelines are then used to develop an improved torsion harvester with a demonstrated ability to produce 1.2 mW of output power at its resonant frequency to power a wireless sensor module. Finally, the use of alternative materials such as single crystals of PMN-PT in the torsion harvester is also examined. Through finite element simulations and with

Design Optimization of an Electromagnetic Energy Harvester Backpack for Utilization of Human Walking Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mullen, Christopher

Implementation of energy harvesting technology can provide a sustainable, remote power source for soldiers by reducing the battery weight and allowing them to stay in the field for longer periods of time. Among multiple energy conversion principles, electromagnetic induction can scavenge energy from wasted kinematic and vibration energy found from human motion. Hip displacement during human gait acts as a base excitation for an energy harvesting backpack system. The placement of a permanent magnet in this vibration environment results in relative motion of the magnet to the coil of copper wire, which induces an electric current. This current can be saved to a battery or capacitor bank installed on the backpack to be used to power electronic devices. The purpose of this research is to construct a reliable simulation model for an electromagnetic vibration energy harvester and use it for a multi-variable optimization algorithm to identify an optimal coil and magnet layout for highest power output. Key components of the coupled equations of motion such as the magnetic flux density and coil inductance are obtained using ANSYS multi-physics software or by measuring them. These components are fed into a harvester simulation model (e.g. coupled field equations of motion for the backpack harvester) that generates the electrical power output. The developed simulation model is verified with multiple case studies including an experimental test. Then the optimal design parameters in the simulation model (e.g., magnet layout, coil width, outer coil diameter, external load resistance) are identified for maximum power. Results from this study will pave the way for a more efficient energy harvesting backpack while providing better insight into the efficiency of magnet and coil layout for electromagnetic applications.

Micro-scale piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting: From fixed-frequency to adaptable-frequency devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Lindsay Margaret

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have the potential to transform engineering infrastructure, manufacturing, and building controls by allowing condition monitoring, asset tracking, demand response, and other intelligent feedback systems. A wireless sensor node consists of a power supply, sensor(s), power conditioning circuitry, radio transmitter and/or receiver, and a micro controller. Such sensor nodes are used for collecting and communicating data regarding the state of a machine, system, or process. The increasing demand for better ways to power wireless devices and increase operation time on a single battery charge drives an interest in energy harvesting research. Today, wireless sensor nodes are typically powered by a standard single-charge battery, which becomes depleted within a relatively short timeframe depending on the application. This introduces tremendous labor costs associated with battery replacement, especially when there are thousands of nodes in a network, the nodes are remotely located, or widely-distributed. Piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting presents a potential solution to the problems associated with too-short battery life and high maintenance requirements, especially in industrial environments where vibrations are ubiquitous. Energy harvester designs typically use the harvester to trickle charge a rechargeable energy storage device rather than directly powering the electronics with the harvested energy. This allows a buffer between the energy harvester supply and the load where energy can be stored in a "tank". Therefore, the harvester does not need to produce the full required power at every instant to successfully power the node. In general, there are tens of microwatts of power available to be harvested from ambient vibrations using micro scale devices and tens of milliwatts available from ambient vibrations using meso scale devices. Given that the power requirements of wireless sensor nodes range from several microwatts to about one

Sustaining high-energy orbits of bi-stable energy harvesters by attractor selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Udani, Janav P.; Arrieta, Andres F.

2017-11-01

Nonlinear energy harvesters have the potential to efficiently convert energy over a wide frequency range; however, difficulties in attaining and sustaining high-energy oscillations restrict their applicability in practical scenarios. In this letter, we propose an actuation methodology to switch the state of bi-stable harvesters from the low-energy intra-well configuration to the coexisting high-energy inter-well configuration by controlled phase shift perturbations. The strategy is designed to introduce a change in the system state without creating distinct metastable attractors by exploiting the basins of attraction of the coexisting stable attractors. Experimental results indicate that the proposed switching strategy yields a significant improvement in energy transduction capabilities, is highly economical, enabling the rapid recovery of energy spent in the disturbance, and can be practically implemented with widely used low-strain piezoelectric transducers.

Energy budget for an energywood harvesting system

Treesearch

W.F. Watson; D.E. Miller; B.J. Stokes; M.L. Broussard

1987-01-01

The fuel and energy requirements for alternative energywood harvesting operations were determined from field operations. Comparisons were made among the total energy requirements including transportation for conventional operation and one- and two-pass energywood operations. The two-pass energywood operation requlred more energy per green ton than the other operations...

A generic double-curvature piezoelectric shell energy harvester: Linear/nonlinear theory and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, X. F.; Hu, S. D.; Tzou, H. S.

2014-12-01

Converting vibration energy to useful electric energy has attracted much attention in recent years. Based on the electromechanical coupling of piezoelectricity, distributed piezoelectric zero-curvature type (e.g., beams and plates) energy harvesters have been proposed and evaluated. The objective of this study is to develop a generic linear and nonlinear piezoelectric shell energy harvesting theory based on a double-curvature shell. The generic piezoelectric shell energy harvester consists of an elastic double-curvature shell and piezoelectric patches laminated on its surface(s). With a current model in the closed-circuit condition, output voltages and energies across a resistive load are evaluated when the shell is subjected to harmonic excitations. Steady-state voltage and power outputs across the resistive load are calculated at resonance for each shell mode. The piezoelectric shell energy harvesting mechanism can be simplified to shell (e.g., cylindrical, conical, spherical, paraboloidal, etc.) and non-shell (beam, plate, ring, arch, etc.) distributed harvesters using two Lamé parameters and two curvature radii of the selected harvester geometry. To demonstrate the utility and simplification procedures, the generic linear/nonlinear shell energy harvester mechanism is simplified to three specific structures, i.e., a cantilever beam case, a circular ring case and a conical shell case. Results show the versatility of the generic linear/nonlinear shell energy harvesting mechanism and the validity of the simplification procedures.

Understanding the role of nonlinearities in the transduction of vibratory energy harvesters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masana, Ravindra Shiva Charan

The last two decades have witnessed several advances in micro-fabrication technologies and electronics, leading to the development of small, low-power devices for wireless sensing, data transmission, actuation, and medical implants. Unfortunately, the actual implementation of such devices in their respective environment has been hindered by the lack of scalable energy sources that are necessary to power and maintain them. Batteries, which remain the most commonly used power source, have not kept pace with the demands of these devices, especially in terms of energy density. In light of this challenge, the concept of vibratory energy harvesting has flourished in recent years as a possible alternative to power and maintain low-power electronics. While linear vibratory energy harvesters have received the majority of the literature's attention, a significant body of the current research activity is focused on the concept of purposeful inclusion of nonlinearities for broadband transduction. When compared to their linear resonant counterparts, nonlinear energy harvesters have a wider steady-state frequency bandwidth, leading to the common belief that they can be utilized to improve performance especially in random and non-stationary vibratory environments. This dissertation aims to critically investigate this belief by drawing a clearer picture of the role of nonlinearities in the transduction of energy harvesters and by defining the conditions under which nonlinearities can be used to enhance performance. To achieve this goal, the Thesis is divided into three parts. The first part investigates the performance of mono- and bi-stable energy harvesters under harmonic excitations and carries a detailed analysis of their relative performance. The second part investigates their response to broadband and narrowband random excitations and again analyzes their relative behavior. The third part exploits the super-harmonic resonance bands of bi-stable energy harvesters for the

Theoretical modeling, simulation and experimental study of hybrid piezoelectric and electromagnetic energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ping; Gao, Shiqiao; Cong, Binglong

2018-03-01

In this paper, performances of vibration energy harvester combined piezoelectric (PE) and electromagnetic (EM) mechanism are studied by theoretical analysis, simulation and experimental test. For the designed harvester, electromechanical coupling modeling is established, and expressions of vibration response, output voltage, current and power are derived. Then, performances of the harvester are simulated and tested; moreover, the power charging rechargeable battery is realized through designed energy storage circuit. By the results, it's found that compared with piezoelectric-only and electromagnetic-only energy harvester, the hybrid energy harvester can enhance the output power and harvesting efficiency; furthermore, at the harmonic excitation, output power of harvester linearly increases with acceleration amplitude increasing; while it enhances with acceleration spectral density increasing at the random excitation. In addition, the bigger coupling strength, the bigger output power is, and there is the optimal load resistance to make the harvester output the maximal power.

Nonlinear analysis and characteristics of inductive galloping energy harvesters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, H. L.; Yang, Y. W.; Abdelkefi, A.; Wang, L.

2018-06-01

This paper presents an investigation on analysis and characteristics of aerodynamic electromagnetic energy harvesters. The source of aeroelastic oscillations results from galloping of a prismatic structure. A nonlinear distributed-parameter model is developed representing the dynamics of the transverse degree of freedom and the electric current induced in the coil. Firstly, we perform a linear analysis to study the impacts of the external electrical resistance, magnet placement, electromagnetic coupling coefficient, and internal resistance in the coil on the cut-in speed of instability of the coupled electroaeroelastic system. It is demonstrated that these parameters have significant impacts on cut-in speed of instability of the harvester system. Subsequently, a nonlinear analysis is implemented to explore the influences of these parameters on the output property of the energy harvester. The results show that there exists an optimal external electrical resistance which maximizes the output power of the harvester, and this optimal value varies with the magnet's placement, wind speed, electromagnetic coupling coefficient and internal resistance of the coil. It is also demonstrated that an increase in the distance between the clamped end and the magnet, an increase in the electromagnetic coupling coefficient, and/or a decrease in the internal resistance of the coil are accompanied by an increase in the level of the harvested power and a decrease in the tip displacement of the bluff body which is associated with a resistive-shunt damping effect in the harvester. The implemented studies give a constructive guidance to design and enhance the output performance of aerodynamic electromagnetic energy harvesters.

Energy Harvesters for Wearable and Stretchable Electronics: From Flexibility to Stretchability.

PubMed

Wu, Hao; Huang, YongAn; Xu, Feng; Duan, Yongqing; Yin, Zhouping

2016-12-01

The rapid advancements of wearable electronics have caused a paradigm shift in consumer electronics, and the emerging development of stretchable electronics opens a new spectrum of applications for electronic systems. Playing a critical role as the power sources for independent electronic systems, energy harvesters with high flexibility or stretchability have been the focus of research efforts over the past decade. A large number of the flexible energy harvesters developed can only operate at very low strain level (≈0.1%), and their limited flexibility impedes their application in wearable or stretchable electronics. Here, the development of highly flexible and stretchable (stretchability >15% strain) energy harvesters is reviewed with emphasis on strategies of materials synthesis, device fabrication, and integration schemes for enhanced flexibility and stretchability. Due to their particular potential applications in wearable and stretchable electronics, energy-harvesting devices based on piezoelectricity, triboelectricity, thermoelectricity, and dielectric elastomers have been largely developed and the progress is summarized. The challenges and opportunities of assembly and integration of energy harvesters into stretchable systems are also discussed. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Microfabrication and Integration of a Sol-Gel PZT Folded Spring Energy Harvester

PubMed Central

Lueke, Jonathan; Badr, Ahmed; Lou, Edmond; Moussa, Walied A.

2015-01-01

This paper presents the methodology and challenges experienced in the microfabrication, packaging, and integration of a fixed-fixed folded spring piezoelectric energy harvester. A variety of challenges were overcome in the fabrication of the energy harvesters, such as the diagnosis and rectification of sol-gel PZT film quality and adhesion issues. A packaging and integration methodology was developed to allow for the characterizing the harvesters under a base vibration. The conditioning circuitry developed allowed for a complete energy harvesting system, consisting a harvester, a voltage doubler, a voltage regulator and a NiMH battery. A feasibility study was undertaken with the designed conditioning circuitry to determine the effect of the input parameters on the overall performance of the circuit. It was found that the maximum efficiency does not correlate to the maximum charging current supplied to the battery. The efficiency and charging current must be balanced to achieve a high output and a reasonable output current. The development of the complete energy harvesting system allows for the direct integration of the energy harvesting technology into existing power management schemes for wireless sensing. PMID:26016911

Energy Harvesting Characteristics from Water Flow by Piezoelectric Energy Harvester Device Using Cr/Nb Doped Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 Bimorph Cantilever

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Kyoung-Bum; Kim, Chang Il; Jeong, Young Hun; Cho, Jeong-Ho; Paik, Jong-Hoo; Nahm, Sahn; Lim, Jong Bong; Seong, Tae-Hyeon

2013-10-01

A water flow energy harvester, which can convert water flow energy to electric energy, was fabricated for its application to rivers. This harvester can generate power from the bending and releasing motion of piezoelectric bimorph cantilevers. A Pb(Zr0.54Ti0.46)O3 + 0.2 wt % Cr2O3 + 1.0 wt % Nb2O5 (PZT-CN) thick film and a 250-µm-thick stainless steel were used as a bimorph cantilever. The electrical impedance matching was achieved across a resistive load of 1 kΩ. Four bimorph cantilevers can generate power from 5 to 105 rpm. The output powers were steadily increased by increasing the rpm. The maximum output power was 68 mW by 105 rpm. It was found that the water flow energy harvester can generate 58 mW by a flow velocity of (2 m/s) from the stream with the four bimorph cantilevers.

Nonlinear vibration analysis of the high-efficiency compressive-mode piezoelectric energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Zhengbao; Zu, Jean

2015-04-01

Power source is critical to achieve independent and autonomous operations of electronic mobile devices. The vibration-based energy harvesting is extensively studied recently, and recognized as a promising technology to realize inexhaustible power supply for small-scale electronics. Among various approaches, the piezoelectric energy harvesting has gained the most attention due to its high conversion efficiency and simple configurations. However, most of piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) to date are based on bending-beam structures and can only generate limited power with a narrow working bandwidth. The insufficient electric output has greatly impeded their practical applications. In this paper, we present an innovative lead zirconate titanate (PZT) energy harvester, named high-efficiency compressive-mode piezoelectric energy harvester (HC-PEH), to enhance the performance of energy harvesters. A theoretical model was developed analytically, and solved numerically to study the nonlinear characteristics of the HC-PEH. The results estimated by the developed model agree well with the experimental data from the fabricated prototype. The HC-PEH shows strong nonlinear responses, favorable working bandwidth and superior power output. Under a weak excitation of 0.3 g (g = 9.8 m/s2), a maximum power output 30 mW is generated at 22 Hz, which is about ten times better than current energy harvesters. The HC-PEH demonstrates the capability of generating enough power for most of wireless sensors.

Increased energy harvesting from backpack to serve as self-sustainable power source via a tube-like harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Longhan; Li, Xiaodong; Cai, Siqi; Huang, Ledeng; Li, Jiehong

2017-11-01

In recent years, there has been increasing demand for portable power sources because of the rapid development of portable and wearable electronic devices. This paper describes the development of a backpack-based energy harvester to harness the biomechanical energy of the human body during walking. The energy harvester was embedded into a backpack and used a spring-mass-damping system to transfer the energetic motion of the human body into rotary generators to produce electricity. In the oscillation system, the weight of the harvester itself and the load contained in the backpack serve together as the seismic mass; when excited by human trunk motion, the seismic mass drives a gear train to accelerate the harvested energetic motion, which is then delivered to a generator. A prototype device was built to investigate its performance, which has a maximum diameter of 50 mm, a minimum diameter of 28 mm, a length of 250 mm, and a weight of 380 g. Experiments showed that the proposed backpack-based harvester, when operating with a 5 kg load, could produce approximately 7 W of electrical power at a walking velocity of 5.5 km/h. The normalized power density of the harvester is 0.145 kg/cm3, which is 7.6 times as much as that of Rome's backpack harvester [26]. Based on the results of metabolic cost experiments, the average conversion efficiency from human metabolic power to electrical power is approximately 36%.

Wind energy harvesting using a piezo-composite generating element (PCGE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tien, Cam Minh Tri; Goo, Nam-Seo

2010-04-01

Energy can be reclaimed and stored for later use to recharge a battery or power a device through a process called energy harvesting. Piezoelectric is being widely investigated for use in harvesting surrounding energy sources such as sun, wind, tides, indoor lighting, body movement or machine vibration, etc. This paper introduces a wind energy harvesting device using a Piezo-Composite Generating Element (PCGE). The PCGE is composed of layers of carbon/epoxy, PZT ceramic, and glass/epoxy cured at an elevated temperature. In the prototype, The PCGE performs as a secondary beam element. One end of the PCGE is attached on the frame of the device. The fan blade rotates in the direction of the wind and hits the PCGE's tip. When the PCGE is excited, the effects of the beam deformation allow it to generate electric power. In wind tunnel experiments, the PCGE is excited to vibrate at its first natural frequency and generates the power up to 8.5 mW. The prototype can harvest energy in urban regions with minor wind movement.

Application of Metamaterials to RF Energy Harvesting and Infrared Photodetection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fowler, Clayton M.

Techniques for adapting metamaterials for the improvement of RF energy harvesting and infrared photodetection are demonstrated using experimental and computer simulation methods. Two methods for RF energy harvesting are experimentally demonstrated and supported by computer simulation. In the first method, a metamaterial perfect absorber (MPA) is made into a rectenna capable of harvesting RF energy and delivering power to a load by soldering Schottky diodes onto connected split ring resonator (SRR) structures composing the planar metasurface of the perfect absorber. The metamaterial rectenna is accompanied by a ground plane placed parallel to it, which forms a Fabry-Perot cavity between the metasurface and the ground plane. The Fabry-Perot cavity stores energy in the form of standing waves which is transferred to the SRR structures of the metasurface as AC currents that are rectified by the diodes to create DC power. This type of design enables highly efficient energy harvesting for low input power, creates a large antenna capture area, and uses elements with small electrical size, such that 100 uW of power (enough to operate simple devices) can be captured at ambient intensities 1 - 2 uW/cm2. Two designs using this method are presented, one that operates for linear polarizations at 0.9 GHz and a smaller polarization-independent design that operates around 1.5 GHz. In the second method, the energy stored in the standing waves of an MPA Fabry-Perot cavity is instead harvested by placing a separate energy harvesting antenna within the cavity. The cavity shapes and enhances the incident electric field, and then the separate energy harvesting antenna is designed to be inserted into the cavity so that its shape and/or radiation pattern matches the electric field lines within the cavity and maximally extracts the stored energy. This method allows for great customization of antenna design parameters, such as operating frequency, polarization dependence, and directionality

Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Solutions

PubMed Central

Caliò, Renato; Rongala, Udaya Bhaskar; Camboni, Domenico; Milazzo, Mario; Stefanini, Cesare; de Petris, Gianluca; Oddo, Calogero Maria

2014-01-01

This paper reviews the state of the art in piezoelectric energy harvesting. It presents the basics of piezoelectricity and discusses materials choice. The work places emphasis on material operating modes and device configurations, from resonant to non-resonant devices and also to rotational solutions. The reviewed literature is compared based on power density and bandwidth. Lastly, the question of power conversion is addressed by reviewing various circuit solutions. PMID:24618725

Thermodynamic limits of energy harvesting from outgoing thermal radiation.

PubMed

Buddhiraju, Siddharth; Santhanam, Parthiban; Fan, Shanhui

2018-04-17

We derive the thermodynamic limits of harvesting power from the outgoing thermal radiation from the ambient to the cold outer space. The derivations are based on a duality relation between thermal engines that harvest solar radiation and those that harvest outgoing thermal radiation. In particular, we derive the ultimate limit for harvesting outgoing thermal radiation, which is analogous to the Landsberg limit for solar energy harvesting, and show that the ultimate limit far exceeds what was previously thought to be possible. As an extension of our work, we also derive the ultimate limit of efficiency of thermophotovoltaic systems.

Power Generation by Harvesting Ambient Energy with a Micro-Electromagnetic Generator

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

more applicable at the micro scale are also being investigated including piezoelectric and electrostatics. Solar energy harvesting is a proven method. It...with IC circuitry. 6.2.7 Piezoelectric Research. In Chapter 2, energy harvesting through the use of piezoelectric materials was briefly discussed. A... piezoelectric harvesters require minimal movement for power generation, whereas an electromagnet generator generally requires significant mechanical motion in

Wideband piezoelectric energy harvester for low-frequency application with plucking mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiraki, Yasuhiro; Masuda, Arata; Ikeda, Naoto; Katsumura, Hidenori; Kagata, Hiroshi; Okumura, Hidenori

2015-04-01

Wireless sensor networks need energy harvesting from vibrational environment for their power supply. The conventional resonance type vibration energy harvesters, however, are not always effective for low frequency application. The purpose of this paper is to propose a high efficiency energy harvester for low frequency application by utilizing plucking and SSHI techniques, and to investigate the effects of applying those techniques in terms of the energy harvesting efficiency. First, we derived an approximate formulation of energy harvesting efficiency of the plucking device by theoretical analysis. Next, it was confirmed that the improved efficiency agreed with numerical and experimental results. Also, a parallel SSHI, a switching circuit technique to improve the performance of the harvester was introduced and examined by numerical simulations and experiments. Contrary to the simulated results in which the efficiency was improved from 13.1% to 22.6% by introducing the SSHI circuit, the efficiency obtained in the experiment was only 7.43%. This would due to the internal resistance of the inductors and photo MOS relays on the switching circuit and the simulation including this factor revealed large negative influence of it. This result suggested that the reduction of the switching resistance was significantly important to the implementation of SSHI.

A sub-cc nonlinear piezoelectric energy harvester for powering leadless pacemakers

PubMed Central

Ansari, MH; Karami, M Amin

2018-01-01

A miniature nonlinear piezoelectric energy harvester is developed to power state of the art leadless cardiac pacemakers from cardiac motions. The energy harvester is integrated in the leadless pacemaker and is connected to the myocardium. The energy harvester converts myocardial motions to electricity to power leadless pacemakers. The energy is stored in a battery or supercapacitor and is used for pacing. The device is composed of a bimorph piezoelectric beam confined in a gray iron frame. The system is assembled at high temperature and operated at the body temperature. The mismatch in the coefficients of thermal expansion of the beam and the frame causes the beam to buckle in body temperature. This intentional buckling makes the beam unstable and improves the power production and robustness of the device. Having high natural frequency is a major problem in microelectromechanical systems energy harvesters. Considering the small size of the energy harvester, 0.5 cm3, the natural frequency is expected to be high. In our design, the natural frequency is lowered significantly using a buckled beam and a proof mass. Since the beam is buckled, the design is bistable and nonlinear, which could increase the output power. In this article, the device is analytically modeled, and the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the energy harvester are analytically derived. The terms corresponding to geometric nonlinearities are included in the electromechanical coupled governing equations. The simulations show that the device generates sufficient electricity to power leadless pacemakers. PMID:29674842

A nonlinear flow-induced energy harvester by considering effects of fictitious springs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Guangcheng; Lin, Yueh-Jaw

2018-01-01

In this paper, a newly proposed energy harvesting approach involving nonlinear coupling effects is demonstrated by utilizing a pair of inducing bluff bodies that are put on both sides of the flag-shaped cantilever beam, and placed in a side-by-side configuration to harvest the energy of the flow. One patch of macro fiber composite is attached to the fixed end of the cantilever beam to facilitate converting the kinetic energy into electric power. It is the first time in recent literature that two fluid dynamic phenomena (i.e. the vortex shedding and the Bernoulli effect) are considered simultaneously in the flow-induced energy harvesting field. The fictitious springs are introduced to explain the nonlinear characteristics of the proposed structure. With the effect of the fictitious springs, the speed range of the flow-induced energy harvester is extended. The proposed structure not only improves the output of the induced-based energy harvester compared to one that has just one cylinder, but can also be utilized in an actual hostile ambient environment. The experimental results for the energy harvester prototype are also investigated. The output power of the energy harvester with two cylinders (D = 25 mm) is measured to be 1.12 μW when the flow speed is 0.325 m s-1 and the center-to-center transverse spacing is 45 mm. This research also delves into the geometric variations of the proposed structure and its optimization.

Energy Harvesting from Fluid Flow in Water Pipelines for Smart Metering Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffmann, D.; Willmann, A.; Göpfert, R.; Becker, P.; Folkmer, B.; Manoli, Y.

2013-12-01

In this paper a rotational, radial-flux energy harvester incorporating a three-phase generation principle is presented for converting energy from water flow in domestic water pipelines. The energy harvester together with a power management circuit and energy storage is used to power a smart metering system installed underground making it independent from external power supplies or depleting batteries. The design of the radial-flux energy harvester is adapted to the housing of a conventional mechanical water flow meter enabling the use of standard components such as housing and impeller. The energy harvester is able to generate up to 720 mW when using a flow rate of 20 l/min (fully opened water tab). A minimum flow rate of 3 l/min is required to get the harvester started. In this case a power output of 2 mW is achievable. By further design optimization of the mechanical structure including the impeller and magnetic circuit the threshold flow rate can be further reduced.

Atomistic mechanisms of rapid energy transport in light-harvesting molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohmura, Satoshi; Koga, Shiro; Akai, Ichiro; Shimojo, Fuyuki; Kalia, Rajiv K.; Nakano, Aiichiro; Vashishta, Priya

2011-03-01

Synthetic supermolecules such as π-conjugated light-harvesting dendrimers efficiently harvest energy from sunlight, which is of significant importance for the global energy problem. Key to their success is rapid transport of electronic excitation energy from peripheral antennas to photochemical reaction cores, the atomistic mechanisms of which remains elusive. Here, quantum-mechanical molecular dynamics simulation incorporating nonadiabatic electronic transitions reveals the key molecular motion that significantly accelerates the energy transport based on the Dexter mechanism.

Efficiency of Energy Harvesting in Ni-Mn-Ga Shape Memory Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindquist, Paul; Hobza, Tony; Patrick, Charles; Müllner, Peter

2018-03-01

Many researchers have reported on the voltage and power generated while energy harvesting using Ni-Mn-Ga shape memory alloys; few researchers report on the power conversion efficiency of energy harvesting. We measured the magneto-mechanical behavior and energy harvesting of Ni-Mn-Ga shape memory alloys to quantify the efficiency of energy harvesting using the inverse magneto-plastic effect. At low frequencies, less than 150 Hz, the power conversion efficiency is less than 0.1%. Power conversion efficiency increases with (i) increasing actuation frequency, (ii) increasing actuation stroke, and (iii) decreasing twinning stress. Extrapolating the results of low-frequency experiments to the kHz actuation regime yields a power conversion factor of about 20% for 3 kHz actuation frequency, 7% actuation strain, and 0.05 MPa twinning stress.

Optimal energy harvesting from vortex-induced vibrations of cables.

PubMed

Antoine, G O; de Langre, E; Michelin, S

2016-11-01

Vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) of flexible cables are an example of flow-induced vibrations that can act as energy harvesting systems by converting energy associated with the spontaneous cable motion into electricity. This work investigates the optimal positioning of the harvesting devices along the cable, using numerical simulations with a wake oscillator model to describe the unsteady flow forcing. Using classical gradient-based optimization, the optimal harvesting strategy is determined for the generic configuration of a flexible cable fixed at both ends, including the effect of flow forces and gravity on the cable's geometry. The optimal strategy is found to consist systematically in a concentration of the harvesting devices at one of the cable's ends, relying on deformation waves along the cable to carry the energy towards this harvesting site. Furthermore, we show that the performance of systems based on VIV of flexible cables is significantly more robust to flow velocity variations, in comparison with a rigid cylinder device. This results from two passive control mechanisms inherent to the cable geometry: (i) the adaptability to the flow velocity of the fundamental frequencies of cables through the flow-induced tension and (ii) the selection of successive vibration modes by the flow velocity for cables with gravity-induced tension.

Optimal energy harvesting from vortex-induced vibrations of cables

PubMed Central

de Langre, E.; Michelin, S.

2016-01-01

Vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) of flexible cables are an example of flow-induced vibrations that can act as energy harvesting systems by converting energy associated with the spontaneous cable motion into electricity. This work investigates the optimal positioning of the harvesting devices along the cable, using numerical simulations with a wake oscillator model to describe the unsteady flow forcing. Using classical gradient-based optimization, the optimal harvesting strategy is determined for the generic configuration of a flexible cable fixed at both ends, including the effect of flow forces and gravity on the cable’s geometry. The optimal strategy is found to consist systematically in a concentration of the harvesting devices at one of the cable’s ends, relying on deformation waves along the cable to carry the energy towards this harvesting site. Furthermore, we show that the performance of systems based on VIV of flexible cables is significantly more robust to flow velocity variations, in comparison with a rigid cylinder device. This results from two passive control mechanisms inherent to the cable geometry: (i) the adaptability to the flow velocity of the fundamental frequencies of cables through the flow-induced tension and (ii) the selection of successive vibration modes by the flow velocity for cables with gravity-induced tension. PMID:27956880

Optimal energy harvesting from vortex-induced vibrations of cables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antoine, G. O.; de Langre, E.; Michelin, S.

2016-11-01

Vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) of flexible cables are an example of flow-induced vibrations that can act as energy harvesting systems by converting energy associated with the spontaneous cable motion into electricity. This work investigates the optimal positioning of the harvesting devices along the cable, using numerical simulations with a wake oscillator model to describe the unsteady flow forcing. Using classical gradient-based optimization, the optimal harvesting strategy is determined for the generic configuration of a flexible cable fixed at both ends, including the effect of flow forces and gravity on the cable's geometry. The optimal strategy is found to consist systematically in a concentration of the harvesting devices at one of the cable's ends, relying on deformation waves along the cable to carry the energy towards this harvesting site. Furthermore, we show that the performance of systems based on VIV of flexible cables is significantly more robust to flow velocity variations, in comparison with a rigid cylinder device. This results from two passive control mechanisms inherent to the cable geometry: (i) the adaptability to the flow velocity of the fundamental frequencies of cables through the flow-induced tension and (ii) the selection of successive vibration modes by the flow velocity for cables with gravity-induced tension.

Energy Autonomous Wireless Water Meter with Integrated Turbine Driven Energy Harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, P.; Folkmer, B.; Goepfert, R.; Hoffmann, D.; Willmann, A.; Manoli, Y.

2013-12-01

Accurate meter reading is the fundamental task of the home water system for the handling of payments. Meters need to be read correctly, to avoid an effect of adding events that increase unnecessary cost and create customer dissatisfaction. This paper presents a fully integrated wireless, energy autonomous water metering system based on the European Standard EN 13757 "Communication systems for meters and remote reading of meters". The system can be used in multiple water metering scenarios. No maintenance will be required and the system will provide precise and secure data transmission as well as timely and accurate recording of the consumption of water. The identification of any leakages will be improved through the analysis of the actual quantity supplied and recorded by the meters. The system is powered by an energy harvester, based on a water driven turbine wheel that is directly coupled to an electromagnetic energy transducer. The power delivered by the generator is dependent of the amount of flowing water and the pressure in the water pipes. Therefor the power is commonly non-continuous, fluctuant and unstable in the voltage amplitude. To be able to report the meter readings at all times, the system needs to be powered not only in times when the energy harvester delivers energy. Therefor an energy buffer, that stores the harvested energy, is installed to compensate the energy requirement between the actual generator output and the energy consumption of the application. Besides a complete system overview, the presentation will focus on the power management and energy aware battery charging circuitry. The design, fabrication, measuring results and the preparations for field tests in rural and urban environment will be presented and discussed.

Low-cost capacitor voltage inverter for outstanding performance in piezoelectric energy harvesting.

PubMed

Lallart, Mickaël; Garbuio, Lauric; Richard, Claude; Guyomar, Daniel

2010-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new scheme for piezoelectric energy harvesting optimization. The proposed enhancement relies on a new topology for inverting the voltage across a single capacitor with reduced losses. The increase of the inversion quality allows a much more effective energy harvesting process using the so-called synchronized switch harvesting on inductor (SSHI) nonlinear technique. It is shown that the proposed architecture, based on a 2-step inversion, increases the harvested power by a theoretical factor up to square root of 2 (i.e., 40% gain) compared with classical SSHI, allowing an increase of the harvested power by a factor greater than 1000% compared with the standard energy harvesting technique for realistic values of inversion components. The proposed circuit, using only 4 digital switches and an intermediate capacitor, is also ultra-low power, because the inversion circuit does not require any external energy and the command signals are very simple.

Multi-objective optimal control of vibratory energy harvesting systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scruggs, J. T.

2008-03-01

This paper presents a new approach, based on H II optimal control theory, for the maximization of power generation in energy harvesting systems. The theory determines the optimal harvested power attainable through the use of power electronics to effect linear feedback control of transducer current. In contrast to most of the prior work in this area, which has assumed harmonic response, the theory proposed here applies to stochastically-excited systems in broadband response, and can be used to harvest power simultaneously from multiple significant vibratory modes. It is also applicable to coupled networks of many transducers. The theory accounts for the impact of energy harvesting on the dynamics of the vibrating system in which the transducers are embedded. It also accounts for resistive and semiconductor dissipation in the power-electronic network interfacing the transducers with energy storage. Thus, losses in the electronics are addressed in the formulation of the optimal control law. Finally, the H II-optimal control formulation of the problem naturally allows for harvested power to be systematically balanced against other response objectives. Here, this is illustrated by showing how the harvesting objective can be maximized, subject to the constraint that the transducer voltages be maintained below that of the power-electronic bus; a condition which is required for the power-electronic control system to be fully operational. Although the theory is applicable across a broad range of applications, it is presented in the context of a piezoelectric bimorph example.

Analyses of electromagnetic and piezoelectric systems for efficient vibration energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadas, Z.; Smilek, J.; Rubes, O.

2017-05-01

The paper deals with analyses and evaluation of vibration energy harvesting systems which are based on electromagnetic and piezoelectric physical principles off electro-mechanical conversion. Energy harvesting systems are associated with wireless sensors and a monitoring of engineering objects. The most of engineering objects operate with unwanted mechanical vibrations. However, vibrations could provide an ambient source of energy which is converted into useful electricity. The use of electromagnetic and piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters is analyzed in this paper. Thee evaluated output power is used for a choice of the efficient system with respect to the character of vibrations and thee required power output.

A Comparison of Electrolytic Capacitors and Supercapacitors for Piezo-Based Energy Harvesting

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-01

A Comparison of Electrolytic Capacitors and Supercapacitors for Piezo-Based Energy Harvesting by Matthew H. Ervin, Carlos M. Pereira, John R...Capacitors and Supercapacitors for Piezo-Based Energy Harvesting Matthew H. Ervin Sensors and Electronic Devices Directorate, ARL Carlos M. Pereira... Supercapacitors for Piezo-Based Energy Harvesting 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Matthew H

Control of base-excited dynamical systems through piezoelectric energy harvesting absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdelmoula, H.; Dai, H. L.; Abdelkefi, A.; Wang, L.

2017-09-01

The spring-mass absorber usually offers a good control to dynamical systems under direct base excitations for a specific value of the excitation frequency. As the vibrational energy of a primary dynamical system is transferred to the absorber, it gets dissipated. In this study, this energy is no longer dissipated but converted to available electrical power by designing efficient energy harvesters. A novel design of a piezoelectric beam installed inside an elastically-mounted dynamical system undergoing base excitations is considered. A design is carried out in order to determine the properties and dimensions of the energy harvester with the constraint of simultaneously decreasing the oscillating amplitudes of the primary dynamical system and increasing the harvested power of the energy harvesting absorber. An analytical model for the coupled system is constructed using Euler-Lagrange principle and Galerkin discretization. Different strategies for controlling the primary structure displacement and enhancing the harvested power as functions of the electrical load resistance and thickness of the beam substrate are performed. The linear polynomial approximation of the system’s key parameters as a function of the beam’s substrate thickness is first carried out. Then, the gradient method is applied to determine the adequate values of the electrical load resistance and thickness of the substrate under the constraints of minimizing the amplitudes of the primary structure or maximizing the levels of the harvested power. After that, an iterative strategy is considered in order to simultaneously minimize the amplitudes of the primary structure and maximize the levels of the harvested power as functions of the thickness of the substrate and electrical load resistance. In addition to harmonic excitations, the coupled system subjected to a white noise is explored. Through this analysis, the load resistance and thickness of the substrate of the piezoelectric energy harvester

Long term performance of wearable transducer for motion energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGarry, Scott A.; Behrens, Sam

2010-04-01

Personal electronic devices such as cell phones, GPS and MP3 players have traditionally depended on battery energy storage technologies for operation. By harvesting energy from a person's motion, these devices may achieve greater run times without increasing the mass or volume of the electronic device. Through the use of a flexible piezoelectric transducer such as poly-vinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and integrating it into a person's clothing, it becomes a 'wearable transducer'. As the PVDF transducer is strained during the person's routine activities, it produces an electrical charge which can then be harvested to power personal electronic devices. Existing wearable transducers have shown great promise for personal motion energy harvesting applications. However, they are presently physically bulky and not ergonomic for the wearer. In addition, there is limited information on the energy harvesting performance for wearable transducers, especially under realistic conditions and for extended cyclic force operations - as would be experienced when worn. In this paper, we present experimental results for a wearable PVDF transducer using a person's measured walking force profile, which is then cycled for a prolonged period of time using an experimental apparatus. Experimental results indicate that after an initial drop in performance, the transducer energy harvesting performance does not substantially deteriorate over time, as less than 10% degradation was observed. Longevity testing is still continuing at CSIRO.

Simultaneous energy harvesting and information processing in wireless multiple relays with multiple antennas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albaaj, Azhar; Makki, S. Vahab A.; Alabkhat, Qassem; Zahedi, Abdulhamid

2017-07-01

Wireless networks suffer from battery discharging specially in cooperative communications when multiple relays have an important role but they are energy constrained. To overcome this problem, energy harvesting from radio frequency signals is applied to charge the node battery. These intermediate nodes have the ability to harvest energy from the source signal and use the energy harvested to transmit information to the destination. In fact, the node tries to harvest energy and then transmit the data to destination. Division of energy harvesting and data transmission can be done in two algorithms: time-switching-based relaying protocol and power-splitting-based relaying protocol. These two algorithms also can be applied in delay-limited and delay-tolerant transmission systems. The previous works have assumed a single relay for energy harvesting, but in this article, the proposed method is concentrated on improving the outage probability and throughput by using multiple antennas in each relay node instead of using single antenna. According to our simulation results, when using multi-antenna relays, ability of energy harvesting is increased and thus system performance will be improved to great extent. Maximum ratio combining scheme has been used when the destination chooses the best signal of relays and antennas satisfying the required signal-to-noise ratio.

Roles of the Excitation in Harvesting Energy from Vibrations

PubMed Central

Zhang, Hui; Ma, Tianwei

2015-01-01

The study investigated the role of excitation in energy harvesting applications. While the energy ultimately comes from the excitation, it was shown that the excitation may not always behave as a source. When the device characteristics do not perfectly match the excitation, the excitation alternately behaves as a source and a sink. The extent to which the excitation behaves as a sink determines the energy harvesting efficiency. Such contradictory roles were shown to be dictated by a generalized phase defined as the instantaneous phase angle between the velocity of the device and the excitation. An inductive prototype device with a diamagnetically levitated seismic mass was proposed to take advantage of the well established phase changing mechanism of vibro-impact to achieve a broader device bandwidth. Results suggest that the vibro-impact can generate an instantaneous, significant phase shift in response velocity that switches the role of the excitation. If introduced properly outside the resonance zone it could dramatically increase the energy harvesting efficiency. PMID:26496183

Upper Atmosphere Heating From Ocean-Generated Acoustic Wave Energy

DOE PAGES

Bowman, D. C.; Lees, J. M.

2018-04-27

We present that colliding sea surface waves generate the ocean microbarom, an acoustic signal that may transmit significant energy to the upper atmosphere. Previous estimates of acoustic energy flux from the ocean microbarom and mountain-wind interactions are on the order of 0.01 to 1 mW/m 2, heating the thermosphere by tens of Kelvins per day. We captured upgoing ocean microbarom waves with a balloon-borne infrasound microphone; the maximum acoustic energy flux was approximately 0.05 mW/m 2. This is about half the average value reported in previous ground-based microbarom observations spanning 8 years. The acoustic flux from the microbarom episode describedmore » here may have heated the thermosphere by several Kelvins per day while the source persisted. Lastly, we suggest that ocean wave models could be used to parameterize acoustically generated heating of the upper atmosphere based on sea state.« less

Upper Atmosphere Heating From Ocean-Generated Acoustic Wave Energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bowman, D. C.; Lees, J. M.

We present that colliding sea surface waves generate the ocean microbarom, an acoustic signal that may transmit significant energy to the upper atmosphere. Previous estimates of acoustic energy flux from the ocean microbarom and mountain-wind interactions are on the order of 0.01 to 1 mW/m 2, heating the thermosphere by tens of Kelvins per day. We captured upgoing ocean microbarom waves with a balloon-borne infrasound microphone; the maximum acoustic energy flux was approximately 0.05 mW/m 2. This is about half the average value reported in previous ground-based microbarom observations spanning 8 years. The acoustic flux from the microbarom episode describedmore » here may have heated the thermosphere by several Kelvins per day while the source persisted. Lastly, we suggest that ocean wave models could be used to parameterize acoustically generated heating of the upper atmosphere based on sea state.« less

A velocity-amplified electromagnetic energy harvester for small amplitude vibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, J.; Zuo, L.

2017-09-01

Dedicated, self-powered wireless sensors are widely being studied for use throughout many industries to monitor everyday operations, maintain safety, and report performance characteristics. To enable sensors to power themselves, harvesting energy from machine vibration has been studied, however, its overall effectiveness can be hampered due to small vibration amplitudes and thus limited harvestable energy density. This paper addresses the issue by proposing a novel vibration energy harvester architecture in which a compliant mechanism and proof mass system is used to amplify the vibrational velocity of machine vibration for a linear electromagnetic generator. A prototype has been fabricated and experimentally characterized to verify its effectiveness. When operating at its natural frequency in a low base amplitude, 0.001 inch (25.4 μm) at 19.4 Hz, during lab tests, the harvester has been shown to produce up to 0.91 V AC open voltage, and a maximum power of 2 mW, amplifying the relative proof mass velocity by approximately 5.4 times. This method of locally increasing the machine vibrational velocity has been shown to be a viable option for increasing the potential power output of an energy harvester. In addition, a mathematical model is created based on pseudo-rigid-body dynamics and the analysis matches closely with experiments.

Optimization study on inductive-resistive circuit for broadband piezoelectric energy harvesters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Ting; Yan, Zhimiao

2017-03-01

The performance of cantilever-beam piezoelectric energy harvester is usually analyzed with pure resistive circuit. The optimal performance of such a vibration-based energy harvesting system is limited by narrow bandwidth around its modified natural frequency. For broadband piezoelectric energy harvesting, series and parallel inductive-resistive circuits are introduced. The electromechanical coupled distributed parameter models for such systems under harmonic base excitations are decoupled with modified natural frequency and electrical damping to consider the coupling effect. Analytical solutions of the harvested power and tip displacement for the electromechanical decoupled model are confirmed with numerical solutions for the coupled model. The optimal performance of piezoelectric energy harvesting with inductive-resistive circuits is revealed theoretically as constant maximal power at any excitation frequency. This is achieved by the scenarios of matching the modified natural frequency with the excitation frequency and equating the electrical damping to the mechanical damping. The inductance and load resistance should be simultaneously tuned to their optimal values, which may not be applicable for very high electromechanical coupling systems when the excitation frequency is higher than their natural frequencies. With identical optimal performance, the series inductive-resistive circuit is recommended for relatively small load resistance, while the parallel inductive-resistive circuit is suggested for relatively large load resistance. This study provides a simplified optimization method for broadband piezoelectric energy harvesters with inductive-resistive circuits.

Vibration properties of and power harvested by a system of electromagnetic vibration energy harvesters that have electrical dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooley, Christopher G.

2017-09-01

This study investigates the vibration and dynamic response of a system of coupled electromagnetic vibration energy harvesting devices that each consist of a proof mass, elastic structure, electromagnetic generator, and energy harvesting circuit with inductance, resistance, and capacitance. The governing equations for the coupled electromechanical system are derived using Newtonian mechanics and Kirchhoff circuit laws for an arbitrary number of these subsystems. The equations are cast in matrix operator form to expose the device's vibration properties. The device's complex-valued eigenvalues and eigenvectors are related to physical characteristics of its vibration. Because the electrical circuit has dynamics, these devices have more natural frequencies than typical electromagnetic vibration energy harvesters that have purely resistive circuits. Closed-form expressions for the steady state dynamic response and average power harvested are derived for devices with a single subsystem. Example numerical results for single and double subsystem devices show that the natural frequencies and vibration modes obtained from the eigenvalue problem agree with the resonance locations and response amplitudes obtained independently from forced response calculations. This agreement demonstrates the usefulness of solving eigenvalue problems for these devices. The average power harvested by the device differs substantially at each resonance. Devices with multiple subsystems have multiple modes where large amounts of power are harvested.

Origami acoustics: using principles of folding structural acoustics for simple and large focusing of sound energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harne, Ryan L.; Lynd, Danielle T.

2016-08-01

Fixed in spatial distribution, arrays of planar, electromechanical acoustic transducers cannot adapt their wave energy focusing abilities unless each transducer is externally controlled, creating challenges for the implementation and portability of such beamforming systems. Recently, planar, origami-based structural tessellations are found to facilitate great versatility in system function and properties through kinematic folding. In this research we bridge the physics of acoustics and origami-based design to discover that the simple topological reconfigurations of a Miura-ori-based acoustic array yield many orders of magnitude worth of reversible change in wave energy focusing: a potential for acoustic field morphing easily obtained through deployable, tessellated architectures. Our experimental and theoretical studies directly translate the roles of folding the tessellated array to the adaptations in spectral and spatial wave propagation sensitivities for far field energy transmission. It is shown that kinematic folding rules and flat-foldable tessellated arrays collectively provide novel solutions to the long-standing challenges of conventional, electronically-steered acoustic beamformers. While our examples consider sound radiation from the foldable array in air, linear acoustic reciprocity dictates that the findings may inspire new innovations for acoustic receivers, e.g. adaptive sound absorbers and microphone arrays, as well as concepts that include water-borne waves.

Underwater energy harvesting from a turbine hosting ionic polymer metal composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cellini, Filippo; Pounds, Jason; Peterson, Sean D.; Porfiri, Maurizio

2014-08-01

In this study, we explore the possibility of energy harvesting from fluid flow through a turbine hosting ionic polymer metal composites (IPMCs). Specifically, IPMC harvesters are embedded in the blades of a small-scale vertical axis water turbine to convert flow kinetics into electrical power via low-frequency flow-induced IPMC deformations. An in-house fabricated Savonius-Darrieus hybrid active turbine with three IPMCs is tested in a laboratory water tunnel to estimate the energy harvesting capabilities of the device as a function of the shunting electrical load. The turbine is shown to harvest a few nanowatt from a mean flow of 0.43\\;m\\;{{s}^{-1}} for shunting resistances in the range 100-1000\\;\\Omega . To establish a first understanding of the energy harvesting device, we propose a quasi-static hydroelastic model for the bending of the IPMCs and we utilize a black-box model to study their electromechanical response.

Development of Vibration-Based Piezoelectric Raindrop Energy Harvesting System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Chin Hong; Dahari, Zuraini

2017-03-01

The trend of finding new means to harvest energy has triggered numerous researches to explore the potential of raindrop energy harvesting. This paper presents an investigation on raindrop energy harvesting which compares the performance of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) cantilever and bridge structure transducers and the development of a raindrop energy harvesting system. The parameters which contribute to the output voltage such as droplet size, droplets released at specific heights and dimensions of PVDF transducers are analyzed. Based on the experimental results, the outcomes have shown that the bridge structure transducer generated a higher voltage than the cantilever. Several dimensions have been tested and it was found that the 30 mm × 4 mm × 25 μm bridge structure transducer generated a relatively high AC open-circuit voltage, which is 4.22 V. The power generated by the bridge transducer is 18 μW across a load of 330 kΩ. The transducer is able to drive up a standard alternative current (AC) to direct current (DC) converter (full-wave bridge rectifier). It generated a DC voltage, V DC of 8.7 mV and 229 pW across a 330 kΩ resistor per drop. It is also capable to generate 9.3 nJ in 20 s from an actual rain event.

Multi-directional energy harvesting by piezoelectric cantilever-pendulum with internal resonance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, J.; Tang, J., E-mail: jtang@engr.uconn.edu

This letter reports a piezoelectric cantilever-pendulum design for multi-directional energy harvesting. A pendulum is attached to the tip of a piezoelectric cantilever-type energy harvester. This design aims at taking advantage of the nonlinear coupling between the pendulum motion in 3-dimensional space and the beam bending vibration at resonances. Experimental studies indicate that, under properly chosen parameters, 1:2 internal resonance can be induced, which enables the multi-directional energy harvesting with a single cantilever. The advantages of the design with respect to traditional piezoelectric cantilever are examined.

Piezoelectric polymer multilayer on flexible substrate for energy harvesting.

PubMed

Zhang, Lei; Oh, Sharon Roslyn; Wong, Ting Chong; Tan, Chin Yaw; Yao, Kui

2013-09-01

A piezoelectric polymer multilayer structure formed on a flexible substrate is investigated for mechanical energy harvesting under bending mode. Analytical and numerical models are developed to clarify the effect of material parameters critical to the energy harvesting performance of the bending multilayer structure. It is shown that the maximum power is proportional to the square of the piezoelectric stress coefficient and the inverse of dielectric permittivity of the piezoelectric polymer. It is further found that a piezoelectric multilayer with thinner electrodes can generate more electric energy in bending mode. The effect of improved impedance matching in the multilayer polymer on energy output is remarkable. Comparisons between piezoelectric ceramic multilayers and polymer multilayers on flexible substrate are discussed. The fabrication of a P(VDF-TrFE) multilayer structure with a thin Al electrode layer is experimentally demonstrated by a scalable dip-coating process on a flexible aluminum substrate. The results indicate that it is feasible to produce a piezoelectric polymer multilayer structure on flexible substrate for harvesting mechanical energy applicable for many low-power electronics.

Ferrofluid based micro-electrical energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purohit, Viswas; Mazumder, Baishakhi; Jena, Grishma; Mishra, Madhusha; Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA93106 Collaboration

2013-03-01

Innovations in energy harvesting have seen a quantum leap in the last decade. With the introduction of low energy devices in the market, micro energy harvesting units are being explored with much vigor. One of the recent areas of micro energy scavenging is the exploitation of existing vibrational energy and the use of various mechanical motions for the same, useful for low power consumption devices. Ferrofluids are liquids containing magnetic materials having nano-scale permanent magnetic dipoles. The present work explores the possibility of the use of this property for generation of electricity. Since the power generation is through a liquid material, it can take any shape as well as response to small acceleration levels. In this work, an electromagnet-based micropower generator is proposed to utilize the sloshing of the ferrofluid within a controlled chamber which moves to different low frequencies. As compared to permanent magnet units researched previously, ferrofluids can be placed in the smallest of containers of different shapes, thereby giving an output in response to the slightest change in motion. Mechanical motion from 1- 20 Hz was able to give an output voltage in mV's. In this paper, the efficiency and feasibility of such a system is demonstrated.

Modeling of a piezoelectric/piezomagnetic nano energy harvester based on two dimensional theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Zhi

2018-01-01

This work presents a two dimensional theory for a piezoelectric/piezomagnetic bilayer nanoplate in coupled extensional and flexural vibrations with both flexoelectric and surface effects. The magneto-electro-elastic (MEE) coupling equations are derived from three-dimensional equations and Kirchhoff plate theory. Based on the developed theory, a piezoelectric/piezomagnetic nano energy harvester is proposed, which can generate electricity under time-harmonic applied magnetic field. The approximate solutions for the mechanical responses and voltage of the energy harvester are obtained using the weighted residual method. Results show that the properties of the proposed energy harvester are size-dependent due to the flexoelectric and surface effects, and such effects are more pronounced when the bilayer thickness is reduced to dozens of nanometers. It is also found that the magnetoelectric coupling coefficient and power density of the energy harvester are sensitive to the load resistance, the thickness fraction of the piezoelectric or the piezomagnetic layer and damping ratios. Moreover, results indicate that the flexoelectric effect could be made use to build a dielectric/piezomagnetic nano energy harvester. This work provides modeling techniques and numerical methods for investigating the size-dependent properties of MEE nanoplate-based energy harvester and could be helpful for designing nano energy harvesters using the principle of flexoelectricity.

Frequency Up-Converted Low Frequency Vibration Energy Harvester Using Trampoline Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ju, S.; Chae, S. H.; Choi, Y.; Jun, S.; Park, S. M.; Lee, S.; Lee, H. W.; Ji, C.-H.

2013-12-01

This paper presents a non-resonant vibration energy harvester based on magnetoelectric transduction mechanism and mechanical frequency up-conversion using trampoline effect. The harvester utilizes a freely movable spherical permanent magnet which bounces off the aluminum springs integrated at both ends of the cavity, achieving frequency up-conversion from low frequency input vibration. Moreover, bonding method of magnetoelectric laminate composite has been optimized to provide higher strain to piezoelectric material and thus obtain a higher output voltage. A proof-of-concept energy harvesting device has been fabricated and tested. Maximum open-circuit voltage of 11.2V has been obtained and output power of 0.57μW has been achieved for a 50kΩ load, when the fabricated energy harvester was hand-shaken.

Frequency adjustable MEMS vibration energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podder, P.; Constantinou, P.; Amann, A.; Roy, S.

2016-10-01

Ambient mechanical vibrations offer an attractive solution for powering the wireless sensor nodes of the emerging “Internet-of-Things”. However, the wide-ranging variability of the ambient vibration frequencies pose a significant challenge to the efficient transduction of vibration into usable electrical energy. This work reports the development of a MEMS electromagnetic vibration energy harvester where the resonance frequency of the oscillator can be adjusted or tuned to adapt to the ambient vibrational frequency. Micro-fabricated silicon spring and double layer planar micro-coils along with sintered NdFeB micro-magnets are used to construct the electromagnetic transduction mechanism. Furthermore, another NdFeB magnet is adjustably assembled to induce variable magnetic interaction with the transducing magnet, leading to significant change in the spring stiffness and resonance frequency. Finite element analysis and numerical simulations exhibit substantial frequency tuning range (25% of natural resonance frequency) by appropriate adjustment of the repulsive magnetic interaction between the tuning and transducing magnet pair. This demonstrated method of frequency adjustment or tuning have potential applications in other MEMS vibration energy harvesters and micromechanical oscillators.

Power converter for raindrop energy harvesting application: Half-wave rectifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izrin, Izhab Muhammad; Dahari, Zuraini

2017-10-01

Harvesting raindrop energy by capturing vibration from impact of raindrop have been explored extensively. Basically, raindrop energy is generated by converting the kinetic energy of raindrop into electrical energy by using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric. In this paper, a power converter using half-wave rectifier for raindrop harvesting energy application is designed and proposed to convert damping alternating current (AC) generated by PVDF into direct current (DC). This research presents parameter analysis of raindrop simulation used in the experiment and resistive load effect on half-wave rectifier converter. The experiment is conducted by using artificial raindrop from the height of 1.3 m to simulate the effect of different resistive load on the output of half-wave rectifier converter. The results of the 0.68 MΩ resistive load showed the best performance of the half-wave rectifier converter used in raindrop harvesting energy system, which generated 3.18 Vaverage. The peak instantaneous output generated from this experiment is 15.36 µW.

Vibration energy harvesting based monitoring of an operational bridge undergoing forced vibration and train passage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cahill, Paul; Hazra, Budhaditya; Karoumi, Raid; Mathewson, Alan; Pakrashi, Vikram

2018-06-01

The application of energy harvesting technology for monitoring civil infrastructure is a bourgeoning topic of interest. The ability of kinetic energy harvesters to scavenge ambient vibration energy can be useful for large civil infrastructure under operational conditions, particularly for bridge structures. The experimental integration of such harvesters with full scale structures and the subsequent use of the harvested energy directly for the purposes of structural health monitoring shows promise. This paper presents the first experimental deployment of piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting devices for monitoring a full-scale bridge undergoing forced dynamic vibrations under operational conditions using energy harvesting signatures against time. The calibration of the harvesters is presented, along with details of the host bridge structure and the dynamic assessment procedures. The measured responses of the harvesters from the tests are presented and the use the harvesters for the purposes of structural health monitoring (SHM) is investigated using empirical mode decomposition analysis, following a bespoke data cleaning approach. Finally, the use of sequential Karhunen Loeve transforms to detect train passages during the dynamic assessment is presented. This study is expected to further develop interest in energy-harvesting based monitoring of large infrastructure for both research and commercial purposes.

A triple hybrid micropower generator with simultaneous multi-mode energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uluşan, H.; Chamanian, S.; Pathirana, W. P. M. R.; Zorlu, Ö.; Muhtaroğlu, A.; Külah, H.

2018-01-01

This study presents a triple hybrid energy harvesting system that combines harvested power from thermoelectric (TE), vibration-based electromagnetic (EM) and piezoelectric (PZT) harvesters into a single DC supply. A power management circuit is designed and implemented in 180 nm standard CMOS technology based on the distinct requirements of each harvester, and is terminated with a Schottky diode to avoid reverse current flow. The system topology hence supports simultaneous power generation and delivery from low and high frequency vibrations as well as temperature differences in the environment. The ultra-low DC voltage harvested from TE generator is boosted with a cross-coupled charge-pump driven by an LC oscillator with fully-integrated center-tapped differential inductors. The EM harvester output was rectified with a self-powered and low drop-out AC/DC doubler circuit. The PZT interface electronics benefits from peak-to-peak cycle of the harvested voltage through a negative voltage converter followed by synchronous power extraction and DC-to-DC conversion through internal switches, and an external inductor. The hybrid system was tested with a wearable in-house EM energy harvester placed wrist of a jogger, a commercial low volume PZT harvester, and DC supply as the TE generator output. The system generates more than 1.2 V output for load resistances higher than 50 kΩ, which corresponds to 24 μW to power wearable sensors. Simultaneous multi-mode operation achieves higher voltage and power compared to stand-alone harvesting circuits, and generates up to 110 μW of output power. This is the first hybrid harvester circuit that simultaneously extracts energy from three independent sources, and delivers a single DC output.

Performance investigation on dissipative dielectric elastomer generators with a triangular energy harvesting scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Peng; Chen, Hualing; Li, Bo; Wang, Yongquan

2017-11-01

In this letter, a theoretical framework describing an energy harvesting cycle including the loss of tension (LT) process is proposed to investigate the energy harvesting performance of a dielectric elastomer generator (DEG) with a triangular energy harvesting scheme by considering material viscosity and leakage current. As the external force that is applied to the membrane decreases, the membrane is relaxed. When the external force decreases to zero, the condition is known as LT. Then the membrane undergoing LT can further relax, which is referred to as the LT process. The LT process is usually ignored in theoretical analysis but observed from energy harvesting experiments of DEGs. It is also studied how shrinking time and transfer capacitor affect the energy conversion of a DEG. The results indicate that energy density and conversion efficiency can be simultaneously improved by choosing appropriate shrinking time and transfer capacitor to optimize the energy harvesting cycle. The results and methods are expected to provide guidelines for the optimal design and assessment of DEGs.

On energy harvesting for augmented tags

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allane, Dahmane; Duroc, Yvan; Andia Vera, Gianfranco; Touhami, Rachida; Tedjini, Smail

2017-02-01

In this paper, the harmonic signals generated by UHF RFID chips, usually considered as spurious effects and unused, are exploited. Indeed, the harmonic signals are harvested to feed a supplementary circuitry associated with a passive RFID tag. Two approaches are presented and compared. In the first one, the third-harmonic signal is combined with an external 2.45-GHz Wi-Fi signal. The integration is done in such a way that the composite signal boosts the conversion efficiency of the energy harvester. In the second approach, the third-harmonic signal is used as the only source of a harvester that energizes a commercial temperature sensor associated with the tag. The design procedures of the two "augmented-tag" approaches are presented. The performance of each system is simulated with ADS software, and using Harmonic Balance tool (HB), the results obtained in simulation and measurements are compared also. xml:lang="fr"

Light harvesting for quantum solar energy conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markvart, Tomas

2000-05-01

Despite wide structural and functional differences, the laws that govern quantum solar energy conversion to chemical energy or electricity share many similarities. In the photosynthetic membrane, in common with semiconductor solar cells, the conversion process proceeds from the creation of electron-hole pairs by a photon of light, followed by charge separation to produce the required high-energy product. In many cases, however, mechanisms are needed to enhance the optical absorption cross-section and extend the spectral range of operation. A common way of achieving this is by light harvesting: light absorption by a specialised unit which transfers the energy to the conversion apparatus. This paper considers two examples of light harvesting - semiconductor solar cells and the photosynthetic apparatus - to illustrate the basic operation and principles that apply. The existence of a light harvesting unit in photosynthesis has been known since the early 1930's but details of the process - relating, in particular, to the relationship between the structure and spectral properties - are still being unravelled. The excitation energy carriers are excitons but the precise nature of the transport - via the solid state Frenkel-Peierls variety or by Förster's resonant energy transfer - is still subject to debate. In semiconductor solar cells, the energy of the absorbed photon is collected by minority carriers but the broad principles remain the same. In both cases it is shown that the rate of energy conversion is described by a law which parallels the Shockley's solar cell equation, and the light harvesting energy collection is subject to reciprocity relations which resemble Onsager's reciprocity relations between coefficients which couple appropriate forces and flows in non-equilibrium thermodynamics. Differences in the basic atomic make-up in the two systems lead to different energy transport equations. In both cases, however, similar mathematical techniques based on Green

Review on energy harvesting for structural health monitoring in aeronautical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le, Minh Quyen; Capsal, Jean-Fabien; Lallart, Mickaël; Hebrard, Yoann; Van Der Ham, Andre; Reffe, Nicolas; Geynet, Lionel; Cottinet, Pierre-Jean

2015-11-01

This paper reviews recent developments in energy harvesting technologies for structural health monitoring (SHM) in aeronautical applications. Aeronautical industries show a great deal of interest in obtaining technologies that can be used to monitor the health of machinery and structures. In particular, the need for self-sufficient monitoring of structures has been ever-increasing in recent years. Autonomous SHM systems typically include embedded sensors, and elements for data acquisition, wireless communication, and energy harvesting. Among all of these components, this paper focuses on energy harvesting technologies. Actually, low-power sensors and wireless communication components are used in newer SHM systems, and a number of researchers have recently investigated such techniques to extract energy from the local environment to power these stand-alone systems. The first part of the paper is dedicated to the different energy sources available in aeronautical applications, i.e., for airplanes and helicopters. The second part gives a presentation of the various devices developed for converting ambient energy into electric power. The last part is dedicated to a comparison of the different technologies and the future development of energy harvesting for aeronautical applications.

Harvesting renewable energy from Earth's mid-infrared emissions.

PubMed

Byrnes, Steven J; Blanchard, Romain; Capasso, Federico

2014-03-18

It is possible to harvest energy from Earth's thermal infrared emission into outer space. We calculate the thermodynamic limit for the amount of power available, and as a case study, we plot how this limit varies daily and seasonally in a location in Oklahoma. We discuss two possible ways to make such an emissive energy harvester (EEH): A thermal EEH (analogous to solar thermal power generation) and an optoelectronic EEH (analogous to photovoltaic power generation). For the latter, we propose using an infrared-frequency rectifying antenna, and we discuss its operating principles, efficiency limits, system design considerations, and possible technological implementations.

Input-Independent Energy Harvesting in Bistable Lattices from Transition Waves.

PubMed

Hwang, Myungwon; Arrieta, Andres F

2018-02-26

We demonstrate the utilisation of transition waves for realising input-invariant, frequency-independent energy harvesting in 1D lattices of bistable elements. We propose a metamaterial-inspired design with an integrated electromechanical transduction mechanism to the unit cell, rendering the power conversion capability an intrinsic property of the lattice. Moreover, focusing of transmitted energy to desired locations is demonstrated numerically and experimentally by introducing engineered defects in the form of perturbation in mass or inter-element forcing. We achieve further localisation of energy and numerically observe a breather-like mode for the first time in this type of lattice, improving the harvesting performance by an order of magnitude. Our approach considers generic bistable unit cells and thus provides a universal mechanism to harvest energy and realise metamaterials effectively behaving as a capacitor and power delivery system.

A hybrid indoor ambient light and vibration energy harvester for wireless sensor nodes.

PubMed

Yu, Hua; Yue, Qiuqin; Zhou, Jielin; Wang, Wei

2014-05-19

To take advantage of applications where both light and vibration energy are available, a hybrid indoor ambient light and vibration energy harvesting scheme is proposed in this paper. This scheme uses only one power conditioning circuit to condition the combined output power harvested from both energy sources so as to reduce the power dissipation. In order to more accurately predict the instantaneous power harvested from the solar panel, an improved five-parameter model for small-scale solar panel applying in low light illumination is presented. The output voltage is increased by using the MEMS piezoelectric cantilever arrays architecture. It overcomes the disadvantage of traditional MEMS vibration energy harvester with low voltage output. The implementation of the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for indoor ambient light is implemented using analog discrete components, which improves the whole harvester efficiency significantly compared to the digital signal processor. The output power of the vibration energy harvester is improved by using the impedance matching technique. An efficient mechanism of energy accumulation and bleed-off is also discussed. Experiment results obtained from an amorphous-silicon (a-Si) solar panel of 4.8 × 2.0 cm2 and a fabricated piezoelectric MEMS generator of 11 × 12.4 mm2 show that the hybrid energy harvester achieves a maximum efficiency around 76.7%.

Development of a biomechanical energy harvester

PubMed Central

Li, Qingguo; Naing, Veronica; Donelan, J Maxwell

2009-01-01

Background Biomechanical energy harvesting–generating electricity from people during daily activities–is a promising alternative to batteries for powering increasingly sophisticated portable devices. We recently developed a wearable knee-mounted energy harvesting device that generated electricity during human walking. In this methods-focused paper, we explain the physiological principles that guided our design process and present a detailed description of our device design with an emphasis on new analyses. Methods Effectively harvesting energy from walking requires a small lightweight device that efficiently converts intermittent, bi-directional, low speed and high torque mechanical power to electricity, and selectively engages power generation to assist muscles in performing negative mechanical work. To achieve this, our device used a one-way clutch to transmit only knee extension motions, a spur gear transmission to amplify the angular speed, a brushless DC rotary magnetic generator to convert the mechanical power into electrical power, a control system to determine when to open and close the power generation circuit based on measurements of knee angle, and a customized orthopaedic knee brace to distribute the device reaction torque over a large leg surface area. Results The device selectively engaged power generation towards the end of swing extension, assisting knee flexor muscles by producing substantial flexion torque (6.4 Nm), and efficiently converted the input mechanical power into electricity (54.6%). Consequently, six subjects walking at 1.5 m/s generated 4.8 ± 0.8 W of electrical power with only a 5.0 ± 21 W increase in metabolic cost. Conclusion Biomechanical energy harvesting is capable of generating substantial amounts of electrical power from walking with little additional user effort making future versions of this technology particularly promising for charging portable medical devices. PMID:19549313

Energy-producing electro-flocculation for harvest of Dunaliella salina.

PubMed

Liu, Qing; Zhang, Meng; Lv, Tao; Chen, Hongjun; Chika, Anthony Okonkwo; Xiang, Changli; Guo, Minxue; Wu, Minghui; Li, Jianjun; Jia, Lishan

2017-10-01

In this study, an efficient electro-flocculation process for Dunaliella salina with energy production by aluminum-air battery has been successfully applied. The formed aluminum hydroxide hydrates during discharging of battery were positively charged, which have a great potential for microalgae flocculation. The precipitation of aluminum hydroxide hydrates by algae also could improve the performance of aluminum-air battery. The harvesting efficiency could reach 97% in 20mins with energy production of 0.11kWh/kg. This discharging electro-flocculation (DEF) technology provides a new energy producing process to effectively harvest microalgae. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transmission and scattering of acoustic energy in turbulent flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaitonde, Datta; Unnikrishnan, S.

2017-11-01

Sound scattering and transmission in turbulent jets are explored through a control volume analysis of a Large-Eddy Simulation. The fluctuating momentum flux across any control surface is first split into its rotational turbulent ((ρu)'H) and the irrotational-isentropic acoustic ((ρu)'A) components using momentum potential theory (MPT). The former has low spatio-temporal coherence, while the latter exhibits a persistent wavepacket form. The energy variable, specifically, total fluctuating enthalpy, is also split into its turbulent and acoustic modes, HH' and HA' respectively. Scattering of acoustic energy is then (ρu)'HHA' , and transmission is (ρu)'AHA' . This facilitates a quantitative comparison of scattering versus transmission in the presence of acoustic energy sources, also obtained from MPT, in any turbulent scenario. The wavepacket converts stochastic sound sources into coherent sound radiation. Turbulent eddies are not only sources of sound, but also play a strong role in scattering, particularly near the lipline. The net acoustic flux from the jet is the transport of HA' by the wavepacket, whose axisymmetric and higher azimuthal modes contribute to downstream and sideline radiation respectively.

Energy Harvesting & Recapture from Human Subjects: Dual-Stage MEMS Cantilever Energy Harvester

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-01

15 Figure 5. (a) In-plane overlap-varying capacitive harvester, (b) In-plane gap-closing capacitive harvester, (c) Out -of-plane gap-closing...capacitive harvester, (c) Out -of-plane gap-closing capacitive harvester [1] The two-way arrows in each subpart of Figure 5 indicate the shuttle’s direction...are compatible with other wafer -based technologies. Bismuth Telluride (Bi2Te3), a common Seebeck thermoelectric material, is able to be processed

Magnetostrictive clad steel plates for high-performance vibration energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Zhenjun; Nakajima, Kenya; Onodera, Ryuichi; Tayama, Tsuyoki; Chiba, Daiki; Narita, Fumio

2018-02-01

Energy harvesting technology is becoming increasingly important with the appearance of the Internet of things. In this study, a magnetostrictive clad steel plate for harvesting vibration energy was proposed. It comprises a cold-rolled FeCo alloy and cold-rolled steel joined together by thermal diffusion bonding. The performances of the magnetostrictive FeCo clad steel plate and conventional FeCo plate cantilevers were compared under bending vibration; the results indicated that the clad steel plate construct exhibits high voltage and power output compared to a single-plate construct. Finite element analysis of the cantilevers under bending provided insights into the magnetic features of a clad steel plate, which is crucial for its high performance. For comparison, the experimental results of a commercial piezoelectric bimorph cantilever were also reported. In addition, the cold-rolled FeCo and Ni alloys were joined by thermal diffusion bonding, which exhibited outstanding energy harvesting performance. The larger the plate volume, the more the energy generated. The results of this study indicated not only a promising application for the magnetostrictive FeCo clad steel plate as an efficient energy harvester, related to small vibrations, but also the notable feasibility for the formation of integrated units to support high-power trains, automobiles, and electric vehicles.

Power and efficiency analysis of a flapping wing wind energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryant, Matthew; Shafer, Michael W.; Garcia, Ephrahim

2012-04-01

Energy harvesting from flowing fluids using flapping wings and fluttering aeroelastic structures has recently gained significant research attention as a possible alternative to traditional rotary turbines, especially at and below the centimeter scale. One promising approach uses an aeroelastic flutter instability to drive limit cycle oscillations of a flexible piezoelectric energy harvesting structure. Such a system is well suited to miniaturization and could be used to create self-powered wireless sensors wherever ambient flows are available. In this paper, we examine modeling of the aerodynamic forces, power extraction, and efficiency of such a flapping wing energy harvester at a low Reynolds number on the order of 1000. Two modeling approaches are considered, a quasi-steady method generalized from existing models of insect flight and a modified model that includes terms to account to the effects of dynamic stall. The modified model is shown to provide better agreement with CFD simulations of a flapping energy harvester.

Prolonged energy harvesting for ingestible devices.

PubMed

Nadeau, Phillip; El-Damak, Dina; Glettig, Dean; Kong, Yong Lin; Mo, Stacy; Cleveland, Cody; Booth, Lucas; Roxhed, Niclas; Langer, Robert; Chandrakasan, Anantha P; Traverso, Giovanni

2017-01-01

Ingestible electronics have revolutionized the standard of care for a variety of health conditions. Extending the capacity and safety of these devices, and reducing the costs of powering them, could enable broad deployment of prolonged monitoring systems for patients. Although prior biocompatible power harvesting systems for in vivo use have demonstrated short minute-long bursts of power from the stomach, not much is known about the capacity to power electronics in the longer term and throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Here, we report the design and operation of an energy-harvesting galvanic cell for continuous in vivo temperature sensing and wireless communication. The device delivered an average power of 0.23 μW per mm 2 of electrode area for an average of 6.1 days of temperature measurements in the gastrointestinal tract of pigs. This power-harvesting cell has the capacity to provide power for prolonged periods of time to the next generation of ingestible electronic devices located in the gastrointestinal tract.

Design and experimental study of a velocity amplified electromagnetic vibration energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, Jackson A.; Zuo, Lei

2017-04-01

Dedicated sensors are widely used throughout many industries to monitor everyday operations, maintain safety and report performance characteristics. In order to adopt a more sustainable solution, intensive research is being conducted for self-powered sensing. To enable sensors to power themselves, harvesting energy from environmental vibration has been widely studied, however, its overall effectiveness remains questionable due to small vibration amplitudes and thus limited harvestable energy density. This paper addresses the issue by proposing a novel vibration energy harvester in which a metal compliant mechanism frame is used to house both a linear electromagnetic generator and proof mass. Due to the compliant mechanism, the proposed energy harvester is capable of amplifying machine vibration velocity for a dedicated electromagnetic generator, largely increasing the energy density. The harvester prototype is also fabricated and experimentally characterized to verify its effectiveness. When operating at its natural frequency in a low base amplitude, 0.001 in (25.4μm) at 19.4 Hz, during lab tests, the harvester has been shown to produce up to 0.91 V AC open voltage, and a maximum power of 2 mW, amplifying the relative proof mass velocity by approximately 5.4 times. In addition, a mathematical model is created based on the pseudo-rigid-body dynamics and the analysis matches closely with experiments. The proposed harvester was designed using vibration data from nuclear power plants. Further steps for improving such a design are given for broader applications.

Energy harvesting based on piezoelectric Ericsson cycles in a piezoceramic material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, B.; Ducharne, B.; Guyomar, D.; Sebald, G.

2013-09-01

The possibility of recycling ambient energies with electric generators instead of using batteries with limited life spans has stimulated important research efforts over the past years. The integration of such generators into mainly autonomous low-power systems, for various industrial or domestic applications is envisioned. In particular, the present work deals with energy harvesting from mechanical vibrations. It is shown here that direct piezoelectric energy harvesting (short circuiting on an adapted resistance, for example) leads to relatively weak energy levels that are insufficient for an industrial development. By coupling an electric field and mechanical excitation on Ericsson-based cycles, the amplitude of the harvested energy can be highly increased, and can reach a maximum close to 100 times its initial value. To obtain such a gain, one needs to employ high electrical field levels (high amplitude, high frequency), which induce a non-linearity through the piezoceramic. A special dynamic hysteresis model has been developed to correctly take into account the material properties, and to provide a real estimation of the harvested energy. A large number of theoretical predictions and experimental results have been compared and are discussed herein, in order to validate the proposed solution.

Energy Harvesting from Salinity Gradient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muhthassim, B.; Thian, X. K.; Hasan, K. N. Md

2018-04-01

Abstract: Energy harvesting from salt water received attention started back in 1970s’, but due to varying interests in the field and the growing potentials of other more promising sources, more work was required to fully establish it. This paper aims at identifying existing techniques of energy harvesting and the methodology involved determining an effective technique for small scale applications of the method. Capacitive deionization technique which involves electrochemical reaction was chosen for further analysis. The experiment was conducted to analyze factors affecting its performance including the electrode and the electrolyte. Combination electrode of carbon/aluminium, copper/aluminium and carbon/copper were selected and tested with different concentration of salty water. From the experiment, copper and aluminum electrodes were found to be the most effective among the rest. A DC-DC boost converter was used to step-up the voltage. Physical implementation of the circuit was done and the circuit was tested in which an input voltage of 1.022 V was boosted to 1.255 V. The efficiency of the boost converter was 38.17 % based on input power and output power obtained.

Optimization of vibratory energy harvesters with stochastic parametric uncertainty: a new perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haji Hosseinloo, Ashkan; Turitsyn, Konstantin

2016-04-01

Vibration energy harvesting has been shown as a promising power source for many small-scale applications mainly because of the considerable reduction in the energy consumption of the electronics and scalability issues of the conventional batteries. However, energy harvesters may not be as robust as the conventional batteries and their performance could drastically deteriorate in the presence of uncertainty in their parameters. Hence, study of uncertainty propagation and optimization under uncertainty is essential for proper and robust performance of harvesters in practice. While all studies have focused on expectation optimization, we propose a new and more practical optimization perspective; optimization for the worst-case (minimum) power. We formulate the problem in a generic fashion and as a simple example apply it to a linear piezoelectric energy harvester. We study the effect of parametric uncertainty in its natural frequency, load resistance, and electromechanical coupling coefficient on its worst-case power and then optimize for it under different confidence levels. The results show that there is a significant improvement in the worst-case power of thus designed harvester compared to that of a naively-optimized (deterministically-optimized) harvester.

Experimental verification and optimization of a linear electromagnetic energy harvesting device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mullen, Christopher; Lee, Soobum

2017-04-01

Implementation of energy harvesting technology can provide a sustainable, remote power source for soldiers by reducing the battery weight and allowing them to stay in the field for longer periods of time. Among multiple energy conversion principles, electromagnetic induction can scavenge energy from wasted kinematic and vibration energy found from human motion. Hip displacement during human gait acts as a base excitation for an energy harvesting backpack system. The placement of a permanent magnet in this vibration environment results in relative motion of the magnet to the coil of copper wire, which induces an electric current. This current can be saved to a battery or capacitor bank installed on the backpack to be used to power electronic devices. The purpose of this research is to construct a reliable simulation model for an electromagnetic vibration energy harvester and use it for a multi-variable optimization algorithm to identify an optimal coil and magnet layout for highest power output. Key components of the coupled equations of motion such as the magnetic flux density and coil inductance are obtained using ANSYS multi-physics software or by measuring them. These components are fed into a harvester simulation model (e.g. coupled field equations of motion for the backpack harvester) that generates the electrical power output. The developed simulation model is verified with a case study including an experimental test. Then the optimal design parameters in the simulation model (e.g., magnet layout, coil width, outer coil diameter, external load resistance) are identified for maximum power. Results from this study will pave the way for a more efficient energy harvesting backpack while providing better insight into the efficiency of magnet and coil layout for electromagnetic applications.

Nonlinear analysis for dual-frequency concurrent energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Zhimiao; Lei, Hong; Tan, Ting; Sun, Weipeng; Huang, Wenhu

2018-05-01

The dual-frequency responses of the hybrid energy harvester undergoing the base excitation and galloping were analyzed numerically. In this work, an approximate dual-frequency analytical method is proposed for the nonlinear analysis of such a system. To obtain the approximate analytical solutions of the full coupled distributed-parameter model, the forcing interactions is first neglected. Then, the electromechanical decoupled governing equation is developed using the equivalent structure method. The hybrid mechanical response is finally separated to be the self-excited and forced responses for deriving the analytical solutions, which are confirmed by the numerical simulations of the full coupled model. The forced response has great impacts on the self-excited response. The boundary of Hopf bifurcation is analytically determined by the onset wind speed to galloping, which is linearly increased by the electrical damping. Quenching phenomenon appears when the increasing base excitation suppresses the galloping. The theoretical quenching boundary depends on the forced mode velocity. The quenching region increases with the base acceleration and electrical damping, but decreases with the wind speed. Superior to the base-excitation-alone case, the existence of the aerodynamic force protects the hybrid energy harvester at resonance from damages caused by the excessive large displacement. From the view of the harvested power, the hybrid system surpasses the base-excitation-alone system or the galloping-alone system. This study advances our knowledge on intrinsic nonlinear dynamics of the dual-frequency energy harvesting system by taking advantage of the analytical solutions.

Piezo-Electrochemical Energy Harvesting with Lithium-Intercalating Carbon Fibers.

PubMed

Jacques, Eric; Lindbergh, Göran; Zenkert, Dan; Leijonmarck, Simon; Kjell, Maria Hellqvist

2015-07-01

The mechanical and electrochemical properties are coupled through a piezo-electrochemical effect in Li-intercalated carbon fibers. It is demonstrated that this piezo-electrochemical effect makes it possible to harvest electrical energy from mechanical work. Continuous polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fibers that can work both as electrodes for Li-ion batteries and structural reinforcement for composites materials are used in this study. Applying a tensile force to carbon fiber bundles used as Li-intercalating electrodes results in a response of the electrode potential of a few millivolts which allows, at low current densities, lithiation at higher electrode potential than delithiation. More electrical energy is thereby released from the cell at discharge than provided at charge, harvesting energy from the mechanical work of the applied force. The measured harvested specific electrical power is in the order of 1 μW/g for current densities in the order of 1 mA/g, but this has a potential of being increased significantly.

Freeze cast porous barium titanate for enhanced piezoelectric energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roscow, J. I.; Zhang, Y.; Kraśny, M. J.; Lewis, R. W. C.; Taylor, J.; Bowen, C. R.

2018-06-01

Energy harvesting is an important developing technology for a new generation of self-powered sensor networks. This paper demonstrates the significant improvement in the piezoelectric energy harvesting performance of barium titanate by forming highly aligned porosity using freeze casting. Firstly, a finite element model demonstrating the effect of pore morphology and angle with respect to poling field on the poling behaviour of porous ferroelectrics was developed. A second model was then developed to understand the influence of microstructure-property relationships on the poling behaviour of porous freeze cast ferroelectric materials and their resultant piezoelectric and energy harvesting properties. To compare with model predictions, porous barium titanate was fabricated using freeze casting to form highly aligned microstructures with excellent longitudinal piezoelectric strain coefficients, d 33. The freeze cast barium titanate with 45 vol.% porosity had a d 33  =  134.5 pC N‑1 compared to d 33  =  144.5 pC N‑1 for dense barium titanate. The d 33 coefficients of the freeze cast materials were also higher than materials with uniformly distributed spherical porosity due to improved poling of the aligned microstructures, as predicted by the models. Both model and experimental data indicated that introducing porosity provides a large reduction in the permittivity () of barium titanate, which leads to a substantial increase in energy harvesting figure of merit, , with a maximum of 3.79 pm2 N‑1 for barium titanate with 45 vol.% porosity, compared to only 1.40 pm2 N‑1 for dense barium titanate. Dense and porous barium titanate materials were then used to harvest energy from a mechanical excitation by rectification and storage of the piezoelectric charge on a capacitor. The porous barium titanate charged the capacitor to a voltage of 234 mV compared to 96 mV for the dense material, indicating a 2.4-fold increase that was similar to that

Effectiveness Testing of a Piezoelectric Energy Harvester for an Automobile Wheel Using Stochastic Resonance

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yunshun; Zheng, Rencheng; Shimono, Keisuke; Kaizuka, Tsutomu; Nakano, Kimihiko

2016-01-01

The collection of clean power from ambient vibrations is considered a promising method for energy harvesting. For the case of wheel rotation, the present study investigates the effectiveness of a piezoelectric energy harvester, with the application of stochastic resonance to optimize the efficiency of energy harvesting. It is hypothesized that when the wheel rotates at variable speeds, the energy harvester is subjected to on-road noise as ambient excitations and a tangentially acting gravity force as a periodic modulation force, which can stimulate stochastic resonance. The energy harvester was miniaturized with a bistable cantilever structure, and the on-road noise was measured for the implementation of a vibrator in an experimental setting. A validation experiment revealed that the harvesting system was optimized to capture power that was approximately 12 times that captured under only on-road noise excitation and 50 times that captured under only the periodic gravity force. Moreover, the investigation of up-sweep excitations with increasing rotational frequency confirmed that stochastic resonance is effective in optimizing the performance of the energy harvester, with a certain bandwidth of vehicle speeds. An actual-vehicle experiment validates that the prototype harvester using stochastic resonance is capable of improving power generation performance for practical tire application. PMID:27763522

Effectiveness Testing of a Piezoelectric Energy Harvester for an Automobile Wheel Using Stochastic Resonance.

PubMed

Zhang, Yunshun; Zheng, Rencheng; Shimono, Keisuke; Kaizuka, Tsutomu; Nakano, Kimihiko

2016-10-17

The collection of clean power from ambient vibrations is considered a promising method for energy harvesting. For the case of wheel rotation, the present study investigates the effectiveness of a piezoelectric energy harvester, with the application of stochastic resonance to optimize the efficiency of energy harvesting. It is hypothesized that when the wheel rotates at variable speeds, the energy harvester is subjected to on-road noise as ambient excitations and a tangentially acting gravity force as a periodic modulation force, which can stimulate stochastic resonance. The energy harvester was miniaturized with a bistable cantilever structure, and the on-road noise was measured for the implementation of a vibrator in an experimental setting. A validation experiment revealed that the harvesting system was optimized to capture power that was approximately 12 times that captured under only on-road noise excitation and 50 times that captured under only the periodic gravity force. Moreover, the investigation of up-sweep excitations with increasing rotational frequency confirmed that stochastic resonance is effective in optimizing the performance of the energy harvester, with a certain bandwidth of vehicle speeds. An actual-vehicle experiment validates that the prototype harvester using stochastic resonance is capable of improving power generation performance for practical tire application.

An infrared-driven flexible pyroelectric generator for non-contact energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Tingting; Jiang, Weitao; Liu, Hongzhong; Niu, Dong; Li, Xin; Liu, Weihua; Li, Xuan; Chen, Bangdao; Shi, Yongsheng; Yin, Lei; Lu, Bingheng

2016-04-01

In recent years, energy harvesting technologies, which can scavenge many kinds of energies from our living environment to power micro/nanodevices, have attracted increasing attention. However, remote energy transmission, flexibility and electric waveform controllability remain the key challenges for wireless power supply by an energy harvester. In this paper, we design a new infrared-driven non-contact pyroelectric generator for harvesting heat energy, which avoids direct contact between the pyroelectric generator and heat source and realizes remote energy transfer exploiting the photothermal and penetrability of infrared light. The output voltage (under the input impedance of 100 MOhm) and short-circuit current of the pyroelectric generator consisting of a CNT/PVDF/CNT layer (20 mm × 5 mm × 100 μm) can be as large as 1.2 V and 9 nA, respectively, under a 1.45 W cm-2 near-infrared laser (808 nm). We also demonstrate the means by which the pyroelectric generator can modulate square waveforms with controllable periods through irradiation frequency, which is essential for signal sources and medical stimulators. The overshoot of square waveforms are in a range of 9.0%-13.1% with a rise time of 120 ms. The prepared pyroelectric generator can light a liquid crystal display (LCD) in a vacuum chamber from outside. This work paves the way for non-contact energy harvesting for some particular occasions where near-field energy control is not available.In recent years, energy harvesting technologies, which can scavenge many kinds of energies from our living environment to power micro/nanodevices, have attracted increasing attention. However, remote energy transmission, flexibility and electric waveform controllability remain the key challenges for wireless power supply by an energy harvester. In this paper, we design a new infrared-driven non-contact pyroelectric generator for harvesting heat energy, which avoids direct contact between the pyroelectric generator and heat

Responses of bistable piezoelectric-composite energy harvester by means of recurrences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syta, Arkadiusz; Bowen, Christopher R.; Kim, H. Alicia; Rysak, Andrzej; Litak, Grzegorz

2016-08-01

In this paper we examine the modal response of a bistable electro-mechanical energy harvesting device based on characterization of the experimental time-series. A piezoelectric element attached to a vibrating bistable carbon-fibre reinforced polymer laminate plate was used for the conversion of mechanical vibrations to electrical energy under harmonic excitations at a variety of frequencies and amplitudes. The inherent bistability of the mechanical resonator and snap-through phenomenon between stable states were exploited for energy harvesting. To identify the dynamics of the response of the studied harvesting structure and the associated output power generation we used the Fourier spectrum and Recurrence Quantification Analysis (RQA).

A piezoelectric six-DOF vibration energy harvester based on parallel mechanism: dynamic modeling, simulation, and experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, G.; Wang, D. H.

2017-03-01

Multi-directional and multi-degree-of-freedom (multi-DOF) vibration energy harvesting are attracting more and more research interest in recent years. In this paper, the principle of a piezoelectric six-DOF vibration energy harvester based on parallel mechanism is proposed to convert the energy of the six-DOF vibration to single-DOF vibrations of the limbs on the energy harvester and output voltages. The dynamic model of the piezoelectric six-DOF vibration energy harvester is established to estimate the vibrations of the limbs. On this basis, a Stewart-type piezoelectric six-DOF vibration energy harvester is developed and explored. In order to validate the established dynamic model and the analysis results, the simulation model of the Stewart-type piezoelectric six-DOF vibration energy harvester is built and tested with different vibration excitations by SimMechanics, and some preliminary experiments are carried out. The results show that the vibration of the limbs on the piezoelectric six-DOF vibration energy harvester can be estimated by the established dynamic model. The developed Stewart-type piezoelectric six-DOF vibration energy harvester can harvest the energy of multi-directional linear vibration and multi-axis rotating vibration with resonance frequencies of 17 Hz, 25 Hz, and 47 Hz. Moreover, the resonance frequencies of the developed piezoelectric six-DOF vibration energy harvester are not affected by the direction changing of the vibration excitation.

A batch process micromachined thermoelectric energy harvester: fabrication and characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, J.; Leonov, V.; Goedbloed, M.; van Andel, Y.; de Nooijer, M. C.; Elfrink, R.; Wang, Z.; Vullers, R. J. M.

2010-10-01

Micromachined thermopiles are considered as a cost-effective solution for energy harvesters working at a small temperature difference and weak heat flows typical for, e.g., the human body. They can be used for powering autonomous wireless sensor nodes in a body area network. In this paper, a micromachined thermoelectric energy harvester with 6 µm high polycrystalline silicon germanium (poly-SiGe) thermocouples fabricated on a 6 inch wafer is presented. An open circuit voltage of 1.49 V and an output power of 0.4 µW can be generated with 3.5 K temperature difference in a model of a wearable micromachined energy harvester of the discussed design, which has a die size of 1.0 mm × 2.5 mm inside a watch-size generator.

Harvesting vibrational energy due to intermodal systems via nano coated piezo electric devices.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-12-01

Vibrational energy resulting from intermodal transport systems can be recovered through the use of energy harvesting system consisting of PZT piezo electric material as the primary energy harvesting component. The ability of traditional PZT piezo ele...

Reduced-order modeling of piezoelectric energy harvesters with nonlinear circuits under complex conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Hong-Jun; Zhang, Zhi-Wei; Shi, Zhi-Fei; Li, Hong

2018-04-01

A fully coupled modeling approach is developed for piezoelectric energy harvesters in this work based on the use of available robust finite element packages and efficient reducing order modeling techniques. At first, the harvester is modeled using finite element packages. The dynamic equilibrium equations of harvesters are rebuilt by extracting system matrices from the finite element model using built-in commands without any additional tools. A Krylov subspace-based scheme is then applied to obtain a reduced-order model for improving simulation efficiency but preserving the key features of harvesters. Co-simulation of the reduced-order model with nonlinear energy harvesting circuits is achieved in a system level. Several examples in both cases of harmonic response and transient response analysis are conducted to validate the present approach. The proposed approach allows to improve the simulation efficiency by several orders of magnitude. Moreover, the parameters used in the equivalent circuit model can be conveniently obtained by the proposed eigenvector-based model order reduction technique. More importantly, this work establishes a methodology for modeling of piezoelectric energy harvesters with any complicated mechanical geometries and nonlinear circuits. The input load may be more complex also. The method can be employed by harvester designers to optimal mechanical structures or by circuit designers to develop novel energy harvesting circuits.

Modelling and analysis of piezoelectric cantilever energy harvester for different proof mass and material proportion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shashank, R.; Harisha, S. K., Dr; Abhishek, M. C.

2018-02-01

Energy harvesting using ambient energy sources is one of the fast growing trends in the world, research and development in the area of energy harvesting is moving progressively to get maximum power output from the existing resources. The ambient sources of energy available in the nature are solar energy, wind energy, thermal energy, vibrational energy etc. out of these methods energy harvesting by vibrational energy sources gain more importance due to its nature of not getting influenced by any environmental parameters and its free availability at anytime and anywhere. The project mainly deals with validating the values of voltage and electrical power output of experimentally conducted energy harvester, varying the parameters of the energy harvester and analyse the effect of the parameters on the performance of the energy harvester and compare the results. The cantilever beam was designed, analysed and simulated using COMSOL multi-physics software. The energy harvester gives an electrical output voltage of the 2.75 volts at a natural frequency of 37.2 Hz and an electrical power of 29μW. Decreasing the percentage of the piezoelectric material and simultaneously increasing the percentage of polymer material (so that total percentage of proportion remains same) increases the electrical voltage and decreases the natural frequency of the beam linearly upto 3.9V and 28.847 Hz till the percentage proportion of the beam was 24% piezoelectric beam and 76% polymer beam when the percentage proportion increased to 26% and 74% natural frequency goes on decreases further but voltage suddenly drops to 2.8V. The voltage generated by energy harvester increases proportionally and reaches 3.7V until weight of the proof mass reaches 4 grams and further increase in the weight of the proof mass decreases the voltage generated by energy harvester. Thus the investigation conveys that the weight of the proof mass and the length of the cantilever beam should be optimised to obtain maximum

CMOS-based optical energy harvesting circuit for biomedical and Internet of Things devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nattakarn, Wuthibenjaphonchai; Ishizu, Takaaki; Haruta, Makito; Noda, Toshihiko; Sasagawa, Kiyotaka; Tokuda, Takashi; Sawan, Mohamad; Ohta, Jun

2018-04-01

In this work, we present a novel CMOS-based optical energy harvesting technology for implantable and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. In the proposed system, a CMOS energy-harvesting circuit accumulates a small amount of photoelectrically converted energy in an external capacitor, and intermittently supplies this power to a target device. Two optical energy-harvesting circuit types were implemented and evaluated. Furthermore, we developed a photoelectrically powered optical identification (ID) circuit that is suitable for IoT technology applications.

Design and analysis of a MEMS-based bifurcate-shape piezoelectric energy harvester

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luo, Yuan; Gan, Ruyi, E-mail: 2471390146@qq.com; Wan, Shalang

This paper presents a novel piezoelectric energy harvester, which is a MEMS-based device. This piezoelectric energy harvester uses a bifurcate-shape. The derivation of the mathematical modeling is based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, and the main mechanical and electrical parameters of this energy harvester are analyzed and simulated. The experiment result shows that the maximum output voltage can achieve 3.3 V under an acceleration of 1 g at 292.11 Hz of frequency, and the output power can be up to 0.155 mW under the load of 0.4 MΩ. The power density is calculated as 496.79 μWmm{sup −3}. Besides that, itmore » is demonstrated efficiently at output power and voltage and adaptively in practical vibration circumstance. This energy harvester could be used for low-power electronic devices.« less

Networks of triboelectric nanogenerators for harvesting water wave energy: a potential approach toward blue energy.

PubMed

Chen, Jun; Yang, Jin; Li, Zhaoling; Fan, Xing; Zi, Yunlong; Jing, Qingshen; Guo, Hengyu; Wen, Zhen; Pradel, Ken C; Niu, Simiao; Wang, Zhong Lin

2015-03-24

With 70% of the earth's surface covered with water, wave energy is abundant and has the potential to be one of the most environmentally benign forms of electric energy. However, owing to lack of effective technology, water wave energy harvesting is almost unexplored as an energy source. Here, we report a network design made of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) for large-scale harvesting of kinetic water energy. Relying on surface charging effect between the conventional polymers and very thin layer of metal as electrodes for each TENG, the TENG networks (TENG-NW) that naturally float on the water surface convert the slow, random, and high-force oscillatory wave energy into electricity. On the basis of the measured output of a single TENG, the TENG-NW is expected to give an average power output of 1.15 MW from 1 km(2) surface area. Given the compelling features, such as being lightweight, extremely cost-effective, environmentally friendly, easily implemented, and capable of floating on the water surface, the TENG-NW renders an innovative and effective approach toward large-scale blue energy harvesting from the ocean.

Design and Implementation of RF Energy Harvesting System for Low-Power Electronic Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uzun, Yunus

2016-08-01

Radio frequency (RF) energy harvester systems are a good alternative for energizing of low-power electronics devices. In this work, an RF energy harvester is presented to obtain energy from Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) 900 MHz signals. The energy harvester, consisting of a two-stage Dickson voltage multiplier circuit and L-type impedance matching circuits, was designed, simulated, fabricated and tested experimentally in terms of its performance. Simulation and experimental works were carried out for various input power levels, load resistances and input frequencies. Both simulation and experimental works have been carried out for this frequency band. An efficiency of 45% is obtained from the system at 0 dBm input power level using the impedance matching circuit. This corresponds to the power of 450 μW and this value is sufficient for many low-power devices. The most important parameters affecting the efficiency of the RF energy harvester are the input power level, frequency band, impedance matching and voltage multiplier circuits, load resistance and the selection of diodes. RF energy harvester designs should be optimized in terms of these parameters.

Design and experimental analysis of broadband energy harvesting from vortex-induced vibrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L. B.; Abdelkefi, A.; Dai, H. L.; Naseer, R.; Wang, L.

2017-11-01

In this paper, an operable strategy to enhance the output power of piezoelectric energy harvesting from vortex-induced vibration (VIV) using nonlinear magnetic forces is proposed for the first time. Two introduced small magnets with a repulsive force are, respectively, attached on a lower support and the bottom of a circular cylinder which is subjected to a uniform wind speed. Experiments show that the natural frequency of the VIV-based energy harvester is significantly changed by varying the relative position of the two magnets and hence the synchronization region is shifted. It is observed that the proposed energy harvester displays a softening behavior due to the impact of nonlinear magnetic forces, which greatly increases the performance of the VIV-based energy harvesting system, showing a wider synchronization region and a higher level of the harvested power by 138% and 29%, respectively, compared to the classical configuration. This proposed design can provide the groundwork to promote the output power of conventional VIV-based piezoelectric generators, further enabling to realize self-powered systems.

Analysis of multifunctional piezoelectric metastructures for low-frequency bandgap formation and energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugino, C.; Erturk, A.

2018-05-01

Vibration-based energy harvesting is a growing field for generating low-power electricity to use in wireless electronic devices, such as the sensor networks used in structural health monitoring applications. Locally resonant metastructures, which are structures that comprise locally resonant metamaterial components, enable bandgap formation at wavelengths much longer than the lattice size, for critical applications such as low-frequency vibration attenuation in flexible structures. This work aims to bridge the domains of energy harvesting and locally resonant metamaterials to form multifunctional structures that exhibit both low-power electricity generation and vibration attenuation capabilities. A fully coupled electromechanical modeling framework is developed for two characteristic systems and their modal analysis is presented. Simulations are performed to explore the vibration and electrical power frequency response maps for varying electrical load resistance, and optimal loading conditions are presented. Case studies are presented to understand the interaction of bandgap formation and energy harvesting capabilities of this new class of multifunctional energy-harvesting locally resonant metastructures. It is shown that useful energy can be harvested from locally resonant metastructures without significantly diminishing their dramatic vibration attenuation in the locally resonant bandgap. Thus, integrating energy harvesters into a locally resonant metastructure enables a new potential for multifunctional locally resonant metastructures that can host self-powered sensors.

Design and kinetic analysis of piezoelectric energy harvesters with self-adjusting resonant frequency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu-Jen, Wang; Tsung-Yi, Chuang; Jui-Hsin, Yu

2017-09-01

Vibration-based energy harvesters have been developed as power sources for wireless sensor networks. Because the vibration frequency of the environment is varied with surrounding conditions, how to design an adaptive energy harvester is a practical topic. This paper proposes a design for a piezoelectric energy harvester possessing the ability to self-adjust its resonant frequency in rotational environments. The effective length of a trapezoidal cantilever is extended by centrifugal force from a rotating wheel to vary its area moment of inertia. The analytical solution for the natural frequency of the piezoelectric energy harvester was derived from the parameter design process, which could specify a structure approaching resonance at any wheel rotating frequency. The kinetic equation and electrical damping induced by power generation were derived from a Lagrange method and a mechanical-electrical coupling model, respectively. An energy harvester with adequate parameters can generate power at a wide range of car speeds. The output power of an experimental prototype composed of piezoelectric thin films and connected to a 3.3 MΩ external resistor was approximately 70-140 μW at wheel speeds ranging from 200 to 700 RPM. These results demonstrate that the proposed piezoelectric energy harvester can be applied as a power source for the wireless tire pressure monitoring sensor.

Survey of energy harvesting and energy scavenging approaches for on-site powering of wireless sensor- and microinstrument-networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, D.; Dulai, G.; Karanassios, Vassili

2013-05-01

Energy (or power) harvesting can be defined as the gathering and either storing or immediately using energy "freely" available in a local environment. Examples include harvesting energy from obvious sources such as photon-fluxes (e.g., solar), or wind or water waves, or from unusual sources such as naturally occurring pH differences. Energy scavenging can be defined as gathering and storing or immediately re-using energy that has been discarded, for instance, waste heat from air conditioning units, from in-door lights or from everyday actions such as walking or from body-heat. Although the power levels that can be harvested or scavenged are typically low (e.g., from nWatt/cm2 to mWatt/cm2), the key motivation is to harvest or to scavenge energy for a wide variety of applications. Example applications include powering devices in remote weather stations, or wireless Bluetooth headsets, or wearable computing devices or for sensor networks for health and bio-medical applications. Beyond sensors and sensor networks, there is a need to power compete systems, such as portable and energy-autonomous chemical analysis microinstruments for use on-site. A portable microinstrument is one that offers the same functionality as a large one but one that has at least one critical component in the micrometer regime. This paper surveys continuous or discontinuous energy harvesting and energy scavenging approaches (with particular emphasis on sensor and microinstrument networks) and it discusses current trends. It also briefly explores potential future directions, for example, for nature-inspired (e.g., photosynthesis), for human-power driven (e.g., for biomedical applications, or for wearable sensor networks) or for nanotechnology-enabled energy harvesting and energy scavenging approaches.

Spiral electrode d33 mode piezoelectric diaphragm combined with proof mass as energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Zhiyuan; Liu, Shuwei; Miao, Jianmin; Woh, Lye Sun; Wang, Zhihong

2015-03-01

The paper demonstrates an energy harvester using a freestanding piezoelectric diaphragm combined with a proof mass. The diaphragm bearing double-sided spiral electrodes makes use of the d33 piezoelectric effect to realize energy scavenging. The harvester was fabricated by using a MEMS technique. The energy converting performance of the diaphragm was characterized by a shaker system. Proof masses were combined at the center of the diaphragm to tune the resonance of the harvester for the sake of scavenging low frequency vibrational energy. A receptance model was built to explain the vibrational behavior of the combined system. The resonance tuning and energy harvesting performance of the combination system was experimentally verified.

Design, simulation, fabrication, and characterization of MEMS vibration energy harvesters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oxaal, John

Energy harvesting from ambient sources has been a longtime goal for microsystem engineers. The energy available from ambient sources is substantial and could be used to power wireless micro devices, making them fully autonomous. Self-powered wireless sensors could have many applications in for autonomous monitoring of residential, commercial, industrial, geological, or biological environments. Ambient vibrations are of particular interest for energy harvesting as they are ubiquitous and have ample kinetic energy. In this work a MEMS device for vibration energy harvesting using a variable capacitor structure is presented. The nonlinear electromechanical dynamics of a gap-closing type structure is experimentally studied. Important experimental considerations such as the importance of reducing off-axis vibration during testing, characterization methods, dust contamination, and the effect of grounding on parasitic capacitance are discussed. A comprehensive physics based model is developed and validated with two different microfabricated devices. To achieve maximal power, devices with high aspect ratio electrodes and a novel two-level stopper system are designed and fabricated. The maximum achieved power from the MEMS device when driven by sinusoidal vibrations was 3.38 muW. Vibrations from HVAC air ducts, which have a primary frequency of 65 Hz and amplitude of 155 mgrms, are targeted as the vibration source and devices are designed for maximal power harvesting potential at those conditions. Harvesting from the air ducts, the devices reached 118 nW of power. When normalized to the operating conditions, the best figure of merit of the devices tested was an order of magnitude above state-of-the-art of the devices (1.24E-6).

MEMS-based wide-bandwidth electromagnetic energy harvester with electroplated nickel structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Shi; Dai, Xuhan; Sun, Yunna; Xiang, Xiaojian; Ding, Guifu; Zhao, Xiaolin

2017-11-01

A novel nickel-based nonlinear electromagnetic energy harvester has been designed, fabricated, and characterized in this work. Electroplated nickel is very suitable for a stretching-based mechanism to broaden the bandwidth due to its good process and mechanical properties. A strong hardening nonlinearity is induced due to the large deformation of the thin nickel based guided-beam structure. Combining the merits of both the mechanical properties and guided-beam structure, the energy harvester shows good bandwidth performance. It is found that increasing the thickness of the central platform could guarantee nonlinearity. Static and dynamic models of the energy harvester are simulated and validated. Test results show that the energy harvester has good repeatability without any destruction under a large deformation condition. At the acceleration of 0.5 g, comparative large bandwidths of 129 and 59 Hz are obtained for displacement and RMS output voltage, respectively. Power output of 3.4 µW and normalized power density of 125.92 µW cm-3 g-2 are achieved with the load resistance of 38 Ω.

Energy harvesting for the implantable biomedical devices: issues and challenges.

PubMed

Hannan, Mahammad A; Mutashar, Saad; Samad, Salina A; Hussain, Aini

2014-06-20

The development of implanted devices is essential because of their direct effect on the lives and safety of humanity. This paper presents the current issues and challenges related to all methods used to harvest energy for implantable biomedical devices. The advantages, disadvantages, and future trends of each method are discussed. The concept of harvesting energy from environmental sources and human body motion for implantable devices has gained a new relevance. In this review, the harvesting kinetic, electromagnetic, thermal and infrared radiant energies are discussed. Current issues and challenges related to the typical applications of these methods for energy harvesting are illustrated. Suggestions and discussion of the progress of research on implantable devices are also provided. This review is expected to increase research efforts to develop the battery-less implantable devices with reduced over hole size, low power, high efficiency, high data rate, and improved reliability and feasibility. Based on current literature, we believe that the inductive coupling link is the suitable method to be used to power the battery-less devices. Therefore, in this study, the power efficiency of the inductive coupling method is validated by MATLAB based on suggested values. By further researching and improvements, in the future the implantable and portable medical devices are expected to be free of batteries.

Energy harvesting for the implantable biomedical devices: issues and challenges

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

The development of implanted devices is essential because of their direct effect on the lives and safety of humanity. This paper presents the current issues and challenges related to all methods used to harvest energy for implantable biomedical devices. The advantages, disadvantages, and future trends of each method are discussed. The concept of harvesting energy from environmental sources and human body motion for implantable devices has gained a new relevance. In this review, the harvesting kinetic, electromagnetic, thermal and infrared radiant energies are discussed. Current issues and challenges related to the typical applications of these methods for energy harvesting are illustrated. Suggestions and discussion of the progress of research on implantable devices are also provided. This review is expected to increase research efforts to develop the battery-less implantable devices with reduced over hole size, low power, high efficiency, high data rate, and improved reliability and feasibility. Based on current literature, we believe that the inductive coupling link is the suitable method to be used to power the battery-less devices. Therefore, in this study, the power efficiency of the inductive coupling method is validated by MATLAB based on suggested values. By further researching and improvements, in the future the implantable and portable medical devices are expected to be free of batteries. PMID:24950601

A High-Efficiency Wind Energy Harvester for Autonomous Embedded Systems

PubMed Central

Brunelli, Davide

2016-01-01

Energy harvesting is currently a hot research topic, mainly as a consequence of the increasing attractiveness of computing and sensing solutions based on small, low-power distributed embedded systems. Harvesting may enable systems to operate in a deploy-and-forget mode, particularly when power grid is absent and the use of rechargeable batteries is unattractive due to their limited lifetime and maintenance requirements. This paper focuses on wind flow as an energy source feasible to meet the energy needs of a small autonomous embedded system. In particular the contribution is on the electrical converter and system integration. We characterize the micro-wind turbine, we define a detailed model of its behaviour, and then we focused on a highly efficient circuit to convert wind energy into electrical energy. The optimized design features an overall volume smaller than 64 cm3. The core of the harvester is a high efficiency buck-boost converter which performs an optimal power point tracking. Experimental results show that the wind generator boosts efficiency over a wide range of operating conditions. PMID:26959018

A High-Efficiency Wind Energy Harvester for Autonomous Embedded Systems.

PubMed

Brunelli, Davide

2016-03-04

Energy harvesting is currently a hot research topic, mainly as a consequence of the increasing attractiveness of computing and sensing solutions based on small, low-power distributed embedded systems. Harvesting may enable systems to operate in a deploy-and-forget mode, particularly when power grid is absent and the use of rechargeable batteries is unattractive due to their limited lifetime and maintenance requirements. This paper focuses on wind flow as an energy source feasible to meet the energy needs of a small autonomous embedded system. In particular the contribution is on the electrical converter and system integration. We characterize the micro-wind turbine, we define a detailed model of its behaviour, and then we focused on a highly efficient circuit to convert wind energy into electrical energy. The optimized design features an overall volume smaller than 64 cm³. The core of the harvester is a high efficiency buck-boost converter which performs an optimal power point tracking. Experimental results show that the wind generator boosts efficiency over a wide range of operating conditions.

A ferrofluid based energy harvester: Computational modeling, analysis, and experimental validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Qi; Alazemi, Saad F.; Daqaq, Mohammed F.; Li, Gang

2018-03-01

A computational model is described and implemented in this work to analyze the performance of a ferrofluid based electromagnetic energy harvester. The energy harvester converts ambient vibratory energy into an electromotive force through a sloshing motion of a ferrofluid. The computational model solves the coupled Maxwell's equations and Navier-Stokes equations for the dynamic behavior of the magnetic field and fluid motion. The model is validated against experimental results for eight different configurations of the system. The validated model is then employed to study the underlying mechanisms that determine the electromotive force of the energy harvester. Furthermore, computational analysis is performed to test the effect of several modeling aspects, such as three-dimensional effect, surface tension, and type of the ferrofluid-magnetic field coupling on the accuracy of the model prediction.

Surface morphology effects in a vibration based triboelectric energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nafari, A.; Sodano, H. A.

2018-01-01

Despite the abundance of ambient mechanical energy in our environment, it is often neglected and left unused. However, recent studies have demonstrated that mechanical vibrations can be harvested and used to power small wireless electronic devices, such as micro electromechanical sensors (MEMS) and actuators. Most commonly, these energy harvesters convert vibration into electrical energy by utilizing piezoelectric, electromagnetic or electrostatic effects. Recently, triboelectric based energy harvesters have shown to be among the simplest and most cost-effective techniques for scavenging mechanical energy. The basis of triboelectric energy harvesters is the periodic contact and separation of two surfaces with opposite triboelectric properties which results in induced charge flow through an external load. Here, a vibration driven triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is fabricated and the effect of micro/nano scale surface modification is studied. The TENG produces electrical energy on the basis of periodic out-of-plane charge separation between gold and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with opposite triboelectric charge polarities. By introducing micro/nano scale surface modifications to the PDMS and gold, the TENG’s power output is further enhanced. This work demonstrates that the morphology of the surfaces in a TENG device is important and by increasing the effective surface area through micro/nano scale modification, the power output of the device can increase by 118%. Moreover, it is shown that unlike many TENGs proposed in the literature, the fabricated device has a high RMS open circuit voltage and short circuit current and can perform for an extended period of time.

Non-resonant electromagnetic energy harvester for car-key applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, X.; Hehn, T.; Thewes, M.; Kuehne, I.; Frey, A.; Scholl, G.; Manoli, Y.

2013-12-01

This paper presents a novel non-resonant electromagnetic energy harvester for application in a remote car-key, to extend the lifetime of the battery or even to realize a fully energy autonomous, maintenance-free car-key product. Characteristic for a car-key are low frequency and large amplitude motions during normal daily operation. The basic idea of this non-resonant generator is to use a round flat permanent magnet moving freely in a round flat cavity, which is packaged on both sides by printed circuit boards embedded with multi-layer copper coils. The primary goal of this structure is to easily integrate the energy harvester with the existing electrical circuit module into available commercial car-key designs. The whole size of the energy harvester is comparable to a CR2032 coin battery. To find out the best power-efficient and optimal design, several magnets with different dimensions and magnetizations, and various layouts of copper coils were analysed and built up for prototype testing. Experimental results show that with an axially magnetized NdFeB magnet and copper coils of design variant B a maximum open circuit voltage of 1.1V can be observed.

Sensorless Estimation and Nonlinear Control of a Rotational Energy Harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nunna, Kameswarie; Toh, Tzern T.; Mitcheson, Paul D.; Astolfi, Alessandro

2013-12-01

It is important to perform sensorless monitoring of parameters in energy harvesting devices in order to determine the operating states of the system. However, physical measurements of these parameters is often a challenging task due to the unavailability of access points. This paper presents, as an example application, the design of a nonlinear observer and a nonlinear feedback controller for a rotational energy harvester. A dynamic model of a rotational energy harvester with its power electronic interface is derived and validated. This model is then used to design a nonlinear observer and a nonlinear feedback controller which yield a sensorless closed-loop system. The observer estimates the mechancial quantities from the measured electrical quantities while the control law sustains power generation across a range of source rotation speeds. The proposed scheme is assessed through simulations and experiments.

Energy harvesting using TEG and PV cell for low power application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tawil, Siti Nooraya Mohd; Zainal, Mohd Zulkarnain

2018-02-01

A thermoelectric generator (TEG) module and photovoltaic cell (PV) were utilized to harvest energy from temperature gradients of heat sources from ambient heat and light of sun. The output of TEG and PV were connected to a power management circuit consist of step-up dc-dc converter in order to increase the output voltage to supply a low power application such as wireless communication module and the photovoltaic cell for charging an energy storage element in order to switch on a fan for cooling system of the thermoelectric generator. A switch is used as a selector to choose the input of source either from photovoltaic cell or thermoelectric generator to switch on DC-DC step-up converter. In order to turn on the DC-DC step-up converter, the input must be greater than 3V. The energy harvesting was designed so that it can be used continuously and portable anywhere. Multiple sources used in this energy harvesting system is to ensure the system can work in whatever condition either in good weather or not good condition of weather. This energy harvesting system has the potential to be used in military operation and environment that require sustainability of energy resources.

A coupled piezoelectric-electromagnetic energy harvesting technique for achieving increased power output through damping matching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Challa, Vinod R.; Prasad, M. G.; Fisher, Frank T.

2009-09-01

Vibration energy harvesting is being pursued as a means to power wireless sensors and ultra-low power autonomous devices. From a design standpoint, matching the electrical damping induced by the energy harvesting mechanism to the mechanical damping in the system is necessary for maximum efficiency. In this work two independent energy harvesting techniques are coupled to provide higher electrical damping within the system. Here the coupled energy harvesting device consists of a primary piezoelectric energy harvesting device to which an electromagnetic component is added to better match the total electrical damping to the mechanical damping in the system. The first coupled device has a resonance frequency of 21.6 Hz and generates a peak power output of ~332 µW, compared to 257 and 244 µW obtained from the optimized, stand-alone piezoelectric and electromagnetic energy harvesting devices, respectively, resulting in a 30% increase in power output. A theoretical model has been developed which closely agrees with the experimental results. A second coupled device, which utilizes the d33 piezoelectric mode, shows a 65% increase in power output in comparison to the corresponding stand-alone, single harvesting mode devices. This work illustrates the design considerations and limitations that one must consider to enhance device performance through the coupling of multiple harvesting mechanisms within a single energy harvesting device.

Characterizing the Effective Bandwidth of Nonlinear Vibratory Energy Harvesters Possessing Multiple Stable Equilibria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panyam Mohan Ram, Meghashyam

In the last few years, advances in micro-fabrication technologies have lead to the development of low-power electronic devices spanning critical fields related to sensing, data transmission, and medical implants. Unfortunately, effective utilization of these devices is currently hindered by their reliance on batteries. In many of these applications, batteries may not be a viable choice as they have a fixed storage capacity and need to be constantly replaced or recharged. In light of such challenges, several novel concepts for micro-power generation have been recently introduced to harness, otherwise, wasted ambient energy from the environment and maintain these low-power devices. Vibratory energy harvesting is one such concept which has received significant attention in recent years. While linear vibratory energy harvesters have been well studied in the literature and their performance metrics have been established, recent research has focused on deliberate introduction of stiffness nonlinearities into the design of these devices. It has been shown that, nonlinear energy harvesters have a wider steady-state frequency bandwidth as compared to their linear counterparts, leading to the premise that they can used to improve performance, and decrease sensitivity to variations in the design and excitation parameters. This dissertation aims to investigate this premise by developing an analytical framework to study the influence of stiffness nonlinearities on the performance and effective bandwidth of nonlinear vibratory energy harvesters. To achieve this goal, the dissertation is divided into three parts. The first part investigates the performance of bi-stable energy harvesters possessing a symmetric quartic potential energy function under harmonic excitations and carries out a detailed analysis to define their effective frequency bandwidth. The second part investigates the relative performance of mono- and bi-stable energy harvesters under optimal electric loading

Baryon acoustic oscillation intensity mapping of dark energy.

PubMed

Chang, Tzu-Ching; Pen, Ue-Li; Peterson, Jeffrey B; McDonald, Patrick

2008-03-07

The expansion of the Universe appears to be accelerating, and the mysterious antigravity agent of this acceleration has been called "dark energy." To measure the dynamics of dark energy, baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) can be used. Previous discussions of the BAO dark energy test have focused on direct measurements of redshifts of as many as 10(9) individual galaxies, by observing the 21 cm line or by detecting optical emission. Here we show how the study of acoustic oscillation in the 21 cm brightness can be accomplished by economical three-dimensional intensity mapping. If our estimates gain acceptance they may be the starting point for a new class of dark energy experiments dedicated to large angular scale mapping of the radio sky, shedding light on dark energy.

Feasibility of energy harvesting techniques for wearable medical devices.

PubMed

Voss, Thaddaeus J; Subbian, Vignesh; Beyette, Fred R

2014-01-01

Wearable devices are arguably one of the most rapidly growing technologies in the computing and health care industry. These systems provide improved means of monitoring health status of humans in real-time. In order to cope with continuous sensing and transmission of biological and health status data, it is desirable to move towards energy autonomous systems that can charge batteries using passive, ambient energy. This not only ensures uninterrupted data capturing, but could also eliminate the need to frequently remove, replace, and recharge batteries. To this end, energy harvesting is a promising area that can lead to extremely power-efficient portable medical devices. This paper presents an experimental prototype to study the feasibility of harvesting two energy sources, solar and thermoelectric energy, in the context of wearable devices. Preliminary results show that such devices can be powered by transducing ambient energy that constantly surrounds us.

Stabilising high energy orbit oscillations by the utilisation of centrifugal effects for rotating-tyre-induced energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yunshun; Zheng, Rencheng; Nakano, Kimihiko; Cartmell, Matthew P.

2018-04-01

Nonlinear energy harvesters are frequently considered in preference to linear devices because they can potentially overcome the narrow frequency bandwidth limitations inherent to linear variants; however, the possibility of variable harvesting efficiency is raised for the nonlinear case. This paper proposes a rotational energy harvester which may be fitted into an automobile tyre, with the advantage that it may broaden the rotating frequency bandwidth and simultaneously stabilise high-energy orbit oscillations. By consideration of the centrifugal effects due to rotation, the overall restoring force will potentially be increased for a cantilever implemented within the harvester, and this manifests as an increase in its equivalent elastic stiffness. In addition, this study reveals that the initial potential well barriers become as shallow as those for a bistable system. When the rotational frequency increases beyond an identifiable boundary frequency, the system transforms into one with a potential barrier of a typical monostable system. On this basis, the inter-well motion of the bistable system can provide sufficient kinetic energy so that the cantilever maintains its high-energy orbit oscillation for monostable hardening behaviour. Furthermore, in a vehicle drive experiment, it has been shown that the effective rotating frequency bandwidth can be widened from 15 km/h-25 km/h to 10 km/h-40 km/h. In addition, it is confirmed that the centrifugal effects can improve the harvester performance, producing a mean power of 61 μW at a driving speed of 40 km/h, and this is achieved by stabilising the high-energy orbit oscillations of the rotational harvester.

Energy Harvesting with a Liquid-Metal Microfluidic Influence Machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conner, Christopher; de Visser, Tim; Loessberg, Joshua; Sherman, Sam; Smith, Andrew; Ma, Shuo; Napoli, Maria Teresa; Pennathur, Sumita; Weld, David

2018-04-01

We describe and demonstrate an alternative energy-harvesting technology based on a microfluidic realization of a Wimshurst influence machine. The prototype device converts the mechanical energy of a pressure-driven flow into electrical energy, using a multiphase system composed of droplets of liquid mercury surrounded by insulating oil. Electrostatic induction between adjacent metal droplets drives charge through external electrode paths, resulting in continuous charge amplification and collection. We demonstrate a power output of 4 nW from the initial prototype and present calculations suggesting that straightforward device optimization could increase the power output by more than 3 orders of magnitude. At that level, the power efficiency of this energy-harvesting mechanism, limited by viscous dissipation, could exceed 90%. The microfluidic context enables straightforward scaling and parallelization, as well as hydraulic matching to a variety of ambient mechanical energy sources, such as human locomotion.

Acoustic energy propagation around railways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cizkova, Petra

2017-09-01

The article deals with the issues of acoustic energy propagation around railways. The research subject was noise emission spreading into the surroundings during the passage of trains over a directly travelled steel bridge construction. Noise emissions were measured using direct measurements in the field. The measurements were performed in two measurement profiles. The noise exposures A LAE measured near the steel bridge construction were compared against the noise exposures A LAE captured on an open track. From the difference of these data, the noise level of the steel bridge structure was determined. Part of the research was to evaluate the effect of the reconstruction of the railway track superstructure on the acoustic situation in the given section of the railway track. The article describes the methodology of measurements, including the processing and evaluation of measured data. The article points out the noise levels of the steel bridge construction and assesses changes in the acoustic situation after the reconstruction.

Experimental Characterization and Validation of Simultaneous Gust Alleviation and Energy Harvesting for Multifunctional Wing Spars

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

U0=15m/s,  Lv  =350m   Cloud Wind and Clear Sky Gust Simulation Using Dryden PSD* Harvested Energy from Normal Vibration (Red) to...energy control law based on limited energy constraints 4) Experimentally validated simultaneous energy harvesting and vibration control Summary...Experimental Characterization and Validation of Simultaneous Gust Alleviation and Energy Harvesting for Multifunctional Wing Spars AFOSR

Energy Harvesting Devices Utilizing Resonance Vibration of Piezoelectric Buzzer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogawa, Toshio; Sugisawa, Ryosuke; Sakurada, Yuta; Aoshima, Hiroshi; Hikida, Masahito; Akaishi, Hiroshi

2013-09-01

A piezoelectric buzzer for energy harvesting was investigated. Although an external force was added to a buzzer, a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) unimorph in the buzzer, the ceramic disc diameter, thickness, and capacitance of which were respectively 14 mm, 0.2 mm, and 10 nF, generated resonance vibration. As a result, alternating voltages of around 30 V and a frequency of 5 kHz were observed. When the generated voltages were applied to a LED lamp, new devices such as a “night-view footwear” and a “piezo-walker” were developed. It was confirmed that the piezo-buzzer for energy harvesting utilizing resonance vibration is an effective tool for obtaining clean energy.

High-efficiency piezoelectric micro harvester for collecting low-frequency mechanical energy.

PubMed

Li, Xin; Song, Jinhui; Feng, Shuanglong; Xie, Xiong; Li, Zhenhu; Wang, Liang; Pu, Yayun; Soh, Ai Kah; Shen, Jun; Lu, Wenqiang; Liu, Shuangyi

2016-12-02

A single-layer zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod array-based micro energy harvester was designed and integrated with a piezoelectric metacapacitor. The device presents outstanding low-frequency (1-10 Hz) mechanical energy harvesting capabilities. When compared with conventional pristine ZnO nanostructured piezoelectric harvesters or generators, both open-circuit potential and short-circuit current are significantly enhanced (up to 3.1 V and 124 nA cm -2 ) for a single mechanical knock (∼34 kPa). Higher electromechanical conversion efficiency (1.3 pC/Pa) is also observed. The results indicate that the integration of the piezoelectric metacapacitor is a crucial factor for improving the low-frequency energy harvesting performance. A double piezoelectric-driven mechanism is proposed to explain current higher output power, in which the metacapacitor plays the multiple roles of charge pumping, storing and transferring. An as-fabricated prototype device for lighting an LED demonstrates high power transference capability, with over 95% transference efficiency to the external load.

Beam Flutter and Energy Harvesting in Internal Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tosi, Luis Phillipe; Colonius, Tim; Sherrit, Stewart; Lee, Hyeong Jae

2017-11-01

Aeroelastic flutter, largely studied for causing engineering failures, has more recently been used as a means of extracting energy from the flow. Particularly, flutter of a cantilever or an elastically mounted plate in a converging-diverging flow passage has shown promise as an energy harvesting concept for internal flow applications. The instability onset is observed as a function of throat velocity, internal wall geometry, fluid and structure material properties. To enable these devices, our work explores features of the fluid-structure coupled dynamics as a function of relevant nondimensional parameters. The flutter boundary is examined through stability analysis of a reduced order model, and corroborated with numerical simulations at low Reynolds number. Experiments for an energy harvester design are qualitatively compared to results from analytical and numerical work, suggesting a robust limit cycle ensues due to a subcritical Hopf bifurcation. Bosch Corporation.

Energy harvesting from cerebrospinal fluid pressure fluctuations for self-powered neural implants.

PubMed

Beker, Levent; Benet, Arnau; Meybodi, Ali Tayebi; Eovino, Ben; Pisano, Albert P; Lin, Liwei

2017-06-01

In this paper, a novel method to generate electrical energy by converting available mechanical energy from pressure fluctuations of the cerebrospinal fluid within lateral ventricles of the brain is presented. The generated electrical power can be supplied to the neural implants and either eliminate their battery need or extend the battery lifespan. A diaphragm type harvester comprised of piezoelectric material is utilized to convert the pressure fluctuations to electrical energy. The pressure fluctuations cause the diaphragm to bend, and the strained piezoelectric materials generate electricity. In the framework of this study, an energy harvesting structure having a diameter of 2.5 mm was designed and fabricated using microfabrication techniques. A 1:1 model of lateral ventricles was 3D-printed from raw MRI images to characterize the harvester. Experimental results show that a maximum power of 0.62 nW can be generated from the harvester under similar physical conditions in lateral ventricles which corresponds to energy density of 12.6 nW/cm 2 . Considering the available area within the lateral ventricles and the size of harvesters that can be built using microfabrication techniques it is possible to amplify to power up to 26 nW. As such, the idea of generating electrical energy by making use of pressure fluctuations within brain is demonstrated in this work via the 3D-printed model system.

A nonlinear energy sink with an energy harvester: Harmonically forced responses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kremer, Daniel; Liu, Kefu

2017-12-01

This study intends to achieve simultaneous vibration suppression and energy harvesting using a variant form of nonlinear energy sink (NES). The proposed apparatus is not a true NES as its spring is not essentially nonlinear. In a previous study [22] (Journal of Sound and Vibration, 333 (20) (2014)), it has been shown that the apparatus demonstrates the transient behaviors similar to those of the NES. As a sequel, the present paper focuses on harmonically forced responses of the system. First, the approximate solutions of steady state responses are derived. Using the approximate solutions, the steady state behaviors are investigated by using the numerical continuation method. This is followed by an experimental study. The study has shown that under harmonic excitation, the proposed apparatus functions similarly to the NES with the typical behaviors such as strongly modulated responses, amplitude jumping, excitation level dependence, etc. Overall, the apparatus meets the design objectives: the vibration suppression and energy harvesting in a broadband manner.

Performance metric comparison study for non-magnetic bi-stable energy harvesters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Udani, Janav P.; Wrigley, Cailin; Arrieta, Andres F.

2017-04-01

Energy harvesting employing non-linear systems offers considerable advantages over linear systems given the broadband resonant response which is favorable for applications involving diverse input vibrations. In this respect, the rich dynamics of bi-stable systems present a promising means for harvesting vibrational energy from ambient sources. Harvesters deriving their bi-stability from thermally induced stresses as opposed to magnetic forces are receiving significant attention as it reduces the need for ancillary components and allows for bio- compatible constructions. However, the design of these bi-stable harvesters still requires further optimization to completely exploit the dynamic behavior of these systems. This study presents a comparison of the harvesting capabilities of non-magnetic, bi-stable composite laminates under variations in the design parameters as evaluated utilizing established power metrics. Energy output characteristics of two bi-stable composite laminate plates with a piezoelectric patch bonded on the top surface are experimentally investigated for variations in the thickness ratio and inertial mass positions for multiple load conditions. A particular design configuration is found to perform better over the entire range of testing conditions which include single and multiple frequency excitation, thus indicating that design optimization over the geometry of the harvester yields robust performance. The experimental analysis further highlights the need for appropriate design guidelines for optimization and holistic performance metrics to account for the range of operational conditions.

Flow Energy Piezoelectric Bimorph Nozzle Harvester

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherrit, Stewart; Lee, Hyeong Jae; Kim, Namhyo; Sun, Kai; Corbett, Gary; Walkemeyer, Phillip; Hasenoehrl, Jennifer; Hall, Jeffery L.; Colonius, Tim; Tosi, Luis Phillipe;

Flow energy piezoelectric bimorph nozzle harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherrit, Stewart; Lee, Hyeong Jae; Walkemeyer, Phillip; Hasenoehrl, Jennifer; Hall, Jeffrey L.; Colonius, Tim; Tosi, Luis Phillipe; Arrazola, Alvaro; Kim, Namhyo; Sun, Kai; Corbett, Gary

2014-04-01

There is a need for a long-life power generation scheme that could be used downhole in an oil well to produce 1 Watt average power. There are a variety of existing or proposed energy harvesting schemes that could be used in this environment but each of these has its own limitations. The vibrating piezoelectric structure is in principle capable of operating for very long lifetimes (decades) thereby possibly overcoming a principle limitation of existing technology based on rotating turbo-machinery. In order to determine the feasibility of using piezoelectrics to produce suitable flow energy harvesting, we surveyed experimentally a variety of nozzle configurations that could be used to excite a vibrating piezoelectric structure in such a way as to enable conversion of flow energy into useful amounts of electrical power. These included reed structures, spring mass-structures, drag and lift bluff bodies and a variety of nozzles with varying flow profiles. Although not an exhaustive survey we identified a spline nozzle/piezoelectric bimorph system that experimentally produced up to 3.4 mW per bimorph. This paper will discuss these results and present our initial analyses of the device using dimensional analysis and constitutive electromechanical modeling. The analysis suggests that an order-of-magnitude improvement in power generation from the current design is possible.

Toward broadband vibration energy harvesting via mechanical motion-rectification induced inertia nonlinearity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Mingyi; Tai, Wei-Che; Zuo, Lei

2018-07-01

Broad frequency bandwidth is a desired feature for most energy harvesting systems. Rotational electromagnetic generators are widely used in energy harvesting systems and the generator rotor is considered as an inerter. While a lot of research striving for increasing frequency bandwidth, we found out that the inerter makes the bandwidth narrow. To solve this problem, this paper proposes using inertia nonlinearity which is realized by mechanical motion rectification (MMR). The influence of the MMR on energy harvesting performance in inerter-based systems was numerically and experimentally investigated with harmonic excitations of constant displacement amplitude. Simulation is done by transforming the mechanical system to an analogous electrical system. The simulation results show that the bandwidth of the MMR based system is broader than that of the counterpart without MMR. System parameter was identified by parameter fitting and experiment was conducted to verify the numerical simulation. Moreover, in the MMR based system, the force transmitted from the harvester to the base was decreased compared to the counterpart without MMR. For excitations with constant force amplitude, MMR based energy harvesting systems also have much broader frequency bandwidth compared to the counterpart without MMR.

Piezoelectric, Solar and Thermal Energy Harvesting for Hybrid Low-Power Generator Systems With Thin-Film Batteries

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

research has investigated simultaneous harvesting of vibration energy using the direct piezoelectric effect and harvesting of magnetic energy (alternating... Piezoelectric , solar and thermal energy harvesting for hybrid low-power generator systems with thin-film batteries This article has been downloaded...TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2011 to 00-00-2011 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Piezoelectric , solar and thermal energy harvesting for hybrid low-power

Scavenging energy from the motion of human lower limbs via a piezoelectric energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Kangqi; Yu, Bo; Zhu, Yingmin; Liu, Zhaohui; Wang, Liansong

2017-03-01

Scavenging energy from human motion through piezoelectric transduction has been considered as a feasible alternative to batteries for powering portable devices and realizing self-sustained devices. To date, most piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) developed can only collect energy from the uni-directional mechanical vibration. This deficiency severely limits their applicability to human motion energy harvesting because the human motion involves diverse mechanical motions. In this paper, a novel PEH is proposed to harvest energy from the motion of human lower limbs. This PEH is composed of two piezoelectric cantilever beams, a sleeve and a ferromagnetic ball. The two beams are designed to sense the vibration along the tibial axis and conduct piezoelectric conversion. The ball senses the leg swing and actuates the two beams to vibrate via magnetic coupling. Theoretical and experimental studies indicate that the proposed PEH can scavenge energy from both the vibration and the swing. During each stride, the PEH can produce multiple peaks in voltage output, which is attributed to the superposition of different excitations. Moreover, the root-mean-square (RMS) voltage output of the PEH increases when the walking speed ranges from 2 to 8 km/h. In addition, the ultra-low frequencies of human motion are also up-converted by the proposed design.

Wave Energy Prize - 1/20th Testing - Harvest Wave Energy

DOE Data Explorer

Wesley Scharmen

2016-08-26

Data from the 1/20th scale testing data completed on the Wave Energy Prize for the Harvest Wave Energy team, including the 1/20th scale test plan, raw test data, video, photos, and data analysis results. The top level objective of the 1/20th scale device testing is to obtain the necessary measurements required for determining Average Climate Capture Width per Characteristic Capital Expenditure (ACE) and the Hydrodynamic Performance Quality (HPQ), key metrics for determining the Wave Energy Prize (WEP) winners.

Impedance Matching Antenna-Integrated High-Efficiency Energy Harvesting Circuit

PubMed Central

Shinki, Yuharu; Shibata, Kyohei; Mansour, Mohamed

2017-01-01

This paper describes the design of a high-efficiency energy harvesting circuit with an integrated antenna. The circuit is composed of series resonance and boost rectifier circuits for converting radio frequency power into boosted direct current (DC) voltage. The measured output DC voltage is 5.67 V for an input of 100 mV at 900 MHz. Antenna input impedance matching is optimized for greater efficiency and miniaturization. The measured efficiency of this antenna-integrated energy harvester is 60% for −4.85 dBm input power and a load resistance equal to 20 kΩ at 905 MHz. PMID:28763043

Impedance Matching Antenna-Integrated High-Efficiency Energy Harvesting Circuit.

PubMed

Shinki, Yuharu; Shibata, Kyohei; Mansour, Mohamed; Kanaya, Haruichi

2017-08-01

This paper describes the design of a high-efficiency energy harvesting circuit with an integrated antenna. The circuit is composed of series resonance and boost rectifier circuits for converting radio frequency power into boosted direct current (DC) voltage. The measured output DC voltage is 5.67 V for an input of 100 mV at 900 MHz. Antenna input impedance matching is optimized for greater efficiency and miniaturization. The measured efficiency of this antenna-integrated energy harvester is 60% for -4.85 dBm input power and a load resistance equal to 20 kΩ at 905 MHz.