Nonlinear Energy Harvesting Using Coupled Micro-Scale Oscillator Arrays

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subramanian Ramakrishnan ◽  
Manish Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Stochastic Systems ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Vibration Energy ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Vibration Energy Harvesting ◽  
Micro Scale ◽  
Oscillatory Systems

Vibration energy harvesting paradigms that seek to exploit the unique characteristics of nonlinear and stochastic systems are currently emerging as an important aspect of frontier research in energy sustainability. In particular, the ubiquitous nature of ambient mechanical vibrations and recent results obtained in the dynamics of micro and nano scale oscillatory systems together suggest the potential efficacy of vibration energy harvesting for the powering of small scale electronic mobile devices. In this context, the inherent advantages of using nonlinear systems over linear ones for energy harvesting are currently well established. In addition, the inherently random nature of ambient vibrations as well as the emergence of phenomena such as stochastic resonance indicates the imperativeness of a stochastic approach. Computational and experimental studies of energy harvesting involving individual nonlinear oscillators that take into account some of the above mentioned features have recently been reported in the literature. In this article, the authors present a new approach to the problem by introducing an analytical framework based on the Fokker-Planck formalism. In particular, the framework is applied to a nonlinearly coupled array of micro-scale oscillators in order to investigate the potential advantages of stochastic effects in coupled arrays for energy harvesting. The influence of varying coupling strengths as well as noise intensity on harvestable energy is studied for the case of a nonlinearly coupled micro-cantilever array. It is noted that the micro-scale arrays of the type under consideration have already been employed in experimental investigations of energy localization effects and hence are currently available for technological applications. In conclusion, the analytical framework introduced and the results obtained in this article are expected to contribute to a fundamental understanding of how the synergistic effects of nonlinear and stochastic phenomena could contribute to the development of novel methods for efficient vibration energy harvesting.

scholarly journals Analytical modelling of spiral cantilever structure for vibration energy harvesting applications

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2.21) ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Nevin Augustine ◽  
Hemanth Kotturu ◽  
S Meenatchi Sundaram ◽  
G S. Vijay
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Piezoelectric Materials ◽  
Structure Design ◽  
Ambient Vibration ◽  
Vibration Energy ◽  
Vibration Energy Harvesting ◽  
Micro Scale ◽  
Cantilever Structure ◽  
Spiral Geometry ◽  
Tip Mass

Research on harvesting energy from natural resources is more focused as it can make microelectronic devices self-powered. MEMS based vibration energy harvesters are gaining its popularity in recent days to extract energy from vibrating objects and to use that energy to power the sensors. A solution for the major constrain for vibration energy harvesting in micro scale has been addressed in this paper. Cantilever beams coated with piezoelectric materials which are optimized to resonate at the source vibration frequency are used in most of the traditional vibration energy harvesting applications. In micro scale such structures have very high natural frequency compared to the ambient vibration frequencies due to which frequency matching is a constrain. Tip mass at the end of the cantilever reduces the resonant frequency to a great extent but adds to complexity and fabrication difficulties. Here, we propose a spiral geometry for micro harvester structures with low fundamental frequencies compared to traditional cantilevers. The spiral geometry is proposed, simulated and analyzed, to show that such a structure would be able to vibrate near resonance at micro scale. The analysis consists of Modal analysis, Mises stress analysis and displacement analysis in COMSOL Multiphysics. The result shows that the frequency has been reduced by a factor of 300 when compared to normal cantilever in the same volume. The work provides guideline for vibration energy harvesting structure design for an improved performance.  

Research on Piezoelectric Generators for Vibration Energy Harvesting

2015 ◽  
Vol 757 ◽  
pp. 171-174
Author(s):  
Kai Zhou ◽  
Fang Xie ◽  
Yi Tao ◽  
Hai Xia Du
Keyword(s):  
Wireless Networks ◽  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Vibration Energy ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Vibration Energy Harvesting ◽  
Low Frequency Vibration ◽  
Piezoelectric Cantilever ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Generation Capacity

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. In the paper, a piezoelectric cantilever device for harvesting the ambient low-frequency vibration energy is designed, and influences of its structure on output voltage and power generation capacity are studied also. The study results show that the piezoelectric cantilever can produce enough power energy which meets the operation requirements of sensors in wireless networks. It provides a method and corresponding theoretical basis for the harvesting of ambient low-frequency vibration energy and the design of self-supply devices for sensors in wireless networks.

On the stochastic dynamics of a nonlinear vibration energy harvester driven by Lévy flight excitations

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 945-967
Author(s):  
SUBRAMANIAN RAMAKRISHNAN ◽  
CONNOR EDLUND ◽  
COLLIN LAMBRECHT
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Power Output ◽  
Stochastic Dynamics ◽  
Nonequilibrium Dynamics ◽  
Vibration Energy ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Lévy Flight ◽  
Coupling Coefficients ◽  
Vibration Energy Harvesting ◽  
Levy Flight

Vibration energy harvesting aims to harness the energy of ambient random vibrations for power generation, particularly in small-scale devices. Typically, stochastic excitation driving the harvester is modelled as a Brownian process and the dynamics are studied in the equilibrium state. However, non-Brownian excitations are of interest, particularly in the nonequilibrium regime of the dynamics. In this work we study the nonequilibrium dynamics of a generic piezoelectric harvester driven by Brownian as well as (non-Brownian) Lévy flight excitation, both in the linear and the Duffing regimes. Both the monostable and the bistable cases of the Duffing regime are studied. The first set of results demonstrate that Lévy flight excitation results in higher expectation values of harvested power. In particular, it is shown that increasing the noise intensity leads to a significant increase in power output. It is also shown that a linearly coupled array of nonlinear harvesters yields improved power output for tailored values of coupling coefficients. The second set of results show that Lévy flight excitation fundamentally alters the bifurcation characteristics of the dynamics. Together, the results underscore the importance of non-Brownian excitation characterised by Lévy flight in vibration energy harvesting, both from a theoretical viewpoint and from the perspective of practical applications.

scholarly journals Experiment Investigation of Bistable Vibration Energy Harvesting with Random Wave Environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 3868
Author(s):  
Qiong Wu ◽  
Hairui Zhang ◽  
Jie Lian ◽  
Wei Zhao ◽  
Shijie Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Cantilever Beam ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Vibration Energy ◽  
Random Wave ◽  
Periodic Signal ◽  
Vibration Energy Harvesting ◽  
Motion Activity

The energy harvested from the renewable energy has been attracting a great potential as a source of electricity for many years; however, several challenges still exist limiting output performance, such as the package and low frequency of the wave. Here, this paper proposed a bistable vibration system for harvesting low-frequency renewable energy, the bistable vibration model consisting of an inverted cantilever beam with a mass block at the tip in a random wave environment and also develop a vibration energy harvesting system with a piezoelectric element attached to the surface of a cantilever beam. The experiment was carried out by simulating the random wave environment using the experimental equipment. The experiment result showed a mass block’s response vibration was indeed changed from a single stable vibration to a bistable oscillation when a random wave signal and a periodic signal were co-excited. It was shown that stochastic resonance phenomena can be activated reliably using the proposed bistable motion system, and, correspondingly, large-scale bistable responses can be generated to realize effective amplitude enlargement after input signals are received. Furthermore, as an important design factor, the influence of periodic excitation signals on the large-scale bistable motion activity was carefully discussed, and a solid foundation was laid for further practical energy harvesting applications.

Genetic algorithm- and finite element-based design and analysis of nonprismatic piezolaminated beam for optimal vibration energy harvesting

2015 ◽  
Vol 230 (14) ◽  
pp. 2532-2548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alok Ranjan Biswal ◽  
Tarapada Roy ◽  
Rabindra Kumar Behera
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Algorithm ◽  
Finite Element ◽  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Output Power ◽  
Governing Equation ◽  
Optimization Technique ◽  
Vibration Energy ◽  
Fe Model ◽  
Vibration Energy Harvesting ◽  
Real Coded Genetic Algorithm

The current article deals with finite element (FE)- and genetic algorithm (GA)-based vibration energy harvesting from a tapered piezolaminated cantilever beam. Euler–Bernoulli beam theory is used for modeling the various cross sections of the beam. The governing equation of motion is derived by using the Hamilton's principle. Two noded beam elements with two degrees of freedom at each node have been considered in order to solve the governing equation. The effect of structural damping has also been incorporated in the FE model. An electric interface is assumed to be connected to measure the voltage and output power in piezoelectric patch due to charge accumulation caused by vibration. The effects of taper (both in the width and height directions) on output power for three cases of shape variation (such as linear, parabolic and cubic) along with frequency and voltage are analyzed. A real-coded genetic algorithm-based constrained (such as ultimate stress and breakdown voltage) optimization technique has been formulated to determine the best possible design variables for optimal harvesting power. A comparative study is also carried out for output power by varying the cross section of the beam, and genetic algorithm-based optimization scheme shows the better results than that of available conventional trial and error methods.

scholarly journals Response Identification in a Vibration Energy-Harvesting System with Quasi-Zero Stiffness and Two Potential Wells

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 3926
Author(s):  
Joanna Iwaniec ◽  
Grzegorz Litak ◽  
Marek Iwaniec ◽  
Jerzy Margielewicz ◽  
Damian Gąska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Recurrence Plot ◽  
Piezoelectric Transducers ◽  
Vibration Energy ◽  
Vibration Energy Harvesting ◽  
Potential Wells ◽  
Frequency Responses ◽  
Voltage Output ◽  
Quantification Analysis ◽  
Energy Harvesting System

In this paper, the frequency broadband effect in vibration energy harvesting was studied numerically using a quasi-zero stiffness resonator with two potential wells and piezoelectric transducers. Corresponding solutions were investigated for system excitation harmonics at various frequencies. Solutions for the higher voltage output were collected in specific branches of the power output diagram. Both the resonant solution synchronized with excitation and the frequency responses of the subharmonic spectra were found. The selected cases were illustrated and classified using a phase portrait, a Poincaré section, and recurrence plot (RP) approaches. Select recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) measures were used to characterize the discussed solutions.

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