Frequency Domain Piezo-Aero-Elastic Analysis and Optimization of an Energy Harvester Wing

Abstract

Multifunctional structures are pointed out as an important technology for the design of aircraft with severe volume, mass and energy sources restrictions such as Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) and Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs). In addition to its primary function of load bearing, the structure of a UAV or MAV with embedded piezoceramics can provide an extra electrical energy source based on the concept of vibration energy harvesting to power the small electronic components. Aeroelastic vibrations of a lifting surface can be converted into electricity using piezoelectric transduction. In this paper, frequency-domain piezoaeroelastic modeling and analysis of a cantilevered plate-like wing with embedded piezoceramics is presented for energy harvesting. The electromechanical finite-element plate model is based on the thin-plate (Kirchhoff) assumptions while the unsteady aerodynamic model uses the doublet-lattice method. The electromechanical and the aerodynamic models are combined to obtain the piezoaeroelastic equations, which are solved using a modified p-k scheme. The evolution of the aerodynamic damping and frequencies for each mode (as well as the electrical outputs) with increasing airflow speeds for a given load resistance is presented. Different combinations of piezoceramics placed on wing surfaces are investigated. Experimental investigation of the piezoaeroelastic behavior is also performed.