Abstract
Some of the lingering challenges within the current paradigm of vibration energy harvesting (VEH) involve narrow operational frequency range and the inevitable non-resonant response from broadband noise excitations. Such VEHs are only suitable for limited applications with fixed sinusoidal vibration, and fail to capture a large spectrum of the real world vibration. Various arraying designs, frequency tuning schemes and nonlinear vibratory approaches have only yielded modest enhancements. To fundamentally address this, the paper proposes and explores the potentials in using highly nonlinear magnetic spring force to activate an autoparametric oscillator, in order to realize an inherently broadband resonant system. Analytical and numerical modelling illustrate that high spring nonlinearity derived from magnetic levitation helps to promote the 2:1 internal frequency matching required to activate parametric resonance. At the right internal parameters, the resulting system can intrinsically exhibit semi-resonant response regardless of the bandwidth of the input vibration, including broadband white noise excitation.
Highlights
Some of the lingering challenges within the current paradigm of vibration energy harvesting (VEH) involve narrow operational frequency range and the inevitable non-resonant response from broadband noise excitations. Such VEHs are only suitable for limited applications with fixed sinusoidal vibration, and fail to capture a large spectrum of the real world vibration
The mainstream of vibration energy harvesting (VEH) has often relied on oscillators operating in direct resonance in order to accumulate mechanical energy [1]
Various frequency tuning and frequency broadening strategies have been extensively investigated [2], the enhancements to date are still relatively modest and proposed systems are still confined to a particular operational frequency range
Summary
The mainstream of vibration energy harvesting (VEH) has often relied on oscillators operating in direct resonance in order to accumulate mechanical energy [1]. Such an approach leads to a system that only exhibits resonant response within a specific bandwidth of excitation frequencies. Various frequency tuning and frequency broadening strategies have been extensively investigated [2], the enhancements to date are still relatively modest and proposed systems are still confined to a particular operational frequency range. Arraying of either coupled or uncoupled oscillators with varying resonant frequencies can help to accumulate to a relatively wide frequency range, though the power density of the overall system compares unfavorable to a single large oscillator that takes up the whole volume [3]. Duffing nonlinearity has been extensively explored [2, 3], but bandwidth broadening is modest and proposed enhancements towards noise excitations are disputable [5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call