Structural multistability for multi-speed wind energy harvesting from vortex-induced vibrations

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Abstract Piezoelectric energy harvesters utilizing vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) have been extensively studied for converting wind energy into usable power for microelectronics. In this work, we explore the use of structural bistability to increase the range of flow speeds over which energy can be harvested without the need for complicated assemblies. We propose a harvester system featuring a piezoelectric transducer bonded to a cantilevered bistable composite laminate, which has two distinct equilibrium shapes at room temperature. To enhance the VIV, we attach a cylindrical bluff body to the free edge of the harvester. The structure’s inherent bistability allows for high power generation at two different flow speeds, contrasting with the single synchronization region typical of linear piezoelectric harvesters. We develop a reduced-order model to predict power output across varying flow speeds and validate these predictions through wind tunnel experiments, showing good agreement. Furthermore, we conduct a parametric study to optimize the model parameters for maximum power output. Our results demonstrate that the bistable harvester can generate up to 4.5 mW of power over a wind speed range of 9.3 m s−1–11.7 m s−1, outperforming the limited speed range of traditional linear VIV-based harvesters. This work underscores the potential to design VIV-based energy harvesters capable of operating efficiently across multiple flow speed ranges using a single structure with its dual stable configurations.