Ambient Vibration Energy Research Articles

Energy harvesting from vibration of stay cables using polyvinylidene fluoride materials: Experimental investigations

Piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) have garnered significant attention due to their potential to scavenge ambient vibration energy. However, their application to stay cables presents unique challenges. To evaluate the efficacy of PEHs for cable vibration energy harvesting, this paper conducts field tests on the designed cable polyvinylidene fluoride piezoelectric energy harvester (CPPEH) based on laboratory research. The effects of external load resistance, stay cable parameters, mounting position of the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric film, orientation of the piezoelectric devices, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) flexible substrate, and stability of the piezoelectric devices on the energy output performance of CPPEH were studied. Results indicate an optimal resistance of 0.24 MΩ for the CPPEH configuration employing four piezoelectric films connected in parallel. The CPPEH exhibited superior energy performance in the in-plane and vertical installation on the stay cable. Optimal energy harvesting efficiency was achieved with a stay cable length of 91.99 m at an inclination angle of 48.879°. The PDMS flexible substrate enhanced the piezoelectric potential of the CPPEH, while the designed CPPEH demonstrated excellent cyclic stability. This innovative approach introduces a sustainable energy solution for solid bridge cable-stayed structures and offers substantial environmental and economic benefits to bridge infrastructure, offering significant engineering and societal value.

Energy stacking efficiency of a novel low-frequency spring-like piezoelectric energy harvester

Abstract This study introduces a novel approach to energy harvesting through a spring-like piezoelectric harvester, termed SPEH, specifically designed for extremely low-frequency excitations. Through the integration of PVDF films and incorporating multiple thin plastic layers, the experimental setup underwent testing across various impact amplitudes and loads. Notably, the results revealed that the height of the impact significantly influenced peak voltage generation, with a remarkable 74% surge observed between a 3-inch and a 1-inch impact under a 90g load. Conversely, the impact load exhibited a comparatively lesser influence on peak voltage. The analysis of generated RMS voltage demonstrated a consistent trend, where higher impact height and load weight correlated with increased RMS voltage, emphasizing the significance of system mass. This innovative approach seeks to harness ambient vibration energy for sustainable power generation, marking a stride in advancing low-frequency piezoelectric energy harvesting systems.

Nonlinear energy harvesting system with multiple stability

The nonlinear energy harvesting systems of the forced vibration with an electron-mechanical coupling are widely used to capture ambient vibration energy and convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. However, the nonlinear response mechanism of the friction induced vibration (FIV) energy harvesting system with multiple stability and stick-slip motion is still unclear. In the current paper, a novel nonlinear energy harvesting model with multiple stability of single-, double- and triple-well potential is proposed based on V-shaped structure spring and the belt conveying system. The dynamic equations for the energy harvesting system with multiple stability and self-excited friction are established by using Euler-Lagrangian equations. Secondly, the static characteristics of the nonlinear restoring force, the friction force, and the potential energy surfaces are obtained to show the nonlinear stiffness, multiple equilibrium points, discontinuous behaviors and multiple well responses. Then, the equilibrium surface of bifurcation sets for the autonomous system is given to show the third-order quasi zero stiffness (QZS3), fifth-order quasi zero stiffness (QZS5), double well (DW) and triple well (TW). The co-dimension bifurcation sets of the self-excited vibration system are analyzed and the corresponding phase portraits for the coexistent of multiple limit cycles are obtained. Furthermore, the analytical formula of amplitude frequency response of the approximated system are obtained by the complex harmonic method. The response amplitudes of charge, current, voltage and power of the forced electron-mechanical coupled vibration system for QZS3, QZS5, DW and TW are analyzed by using the numerically solution. Finally, a prototype of FIV energy harvesting system is manufactured and the experimental system is setup. The experimental works of static restoring forces, damping forcse and the electrical outputs are well agreeable with the numerical results, which testified the proposed FIV energy harvesting model.

Tuning ZnO-based piezoelectric nanogenerator efficiency through n-ZnO/p-NiO bulk interfacing

ZnO based piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENG) hold immense potential for harvesting ambient vibrational mechanical energy into electrical energy, offering sustainable solutions in the field of self-powered sensors, wearable electronics, human–machine interactions etc. In this study, we have developed flexible ZnO-based PENGs by incorporating ZnO microparticles into PDMS matrix, with ZnO concentration ranging from 5 to 25 wt%. Among these, the PENG containing 15 wt% ZnO exhibited the best performance with an open-circuit output voltage/short-circuit current of ~ 42.4 V/2.4 µA. To further enhance the output performance of PENG, p-type NiO was interfaced with ZnO in a bulk hetero-junction geometry. The concentration of NiO was varied from 5 to 20 wt% with respect to ZnO and incorporated into the PDMS matrix to fabricate the PENGs. The PENG containing 10 wt% NiO exhibits the best performance with an open-circuit output voltage/short-circuit current of ~ 65 V/4.1 µA under loading conditions of 30 N and 4 Hz. The PENG exhibiting the best performance demonstrates a maximum instantaneous output power density ~ 37.9 µW/cm2 across a load resistance of 20 MΩ under loading conditions of 30 N and 4 Hz, with a power density per unit force and Hertz of about ~ 0.32 µW/cm2·N·Hz. The enhanced output performance of the PENG is attributed to the reduction in free electron concentration, which suppresses the internal screening effect of the piezopotential. To assess the practical utility of the optimized PENG, we tested the powering capability by charging various commercial capacitors and used the stored energy to illuminate 10 LEDs and to power a stopwatch displays. This work not only presents a straightforward, cost-effective, and scalable technique for enhancing the output performance of ZnO-based PENGs but also sheds light on its underlying mechanism.

Investigation of ambient vibration sources for direct energy harvesting by optimizing resonant frequency using proof mass

Ambient mechanical sources typically vibrate below the frequency of 200 Hz, posing challenges for thin film piezoelectric sensors, including low power, high resonant frequency, and small bandwidth. To optimize the electrical energy harvesting from the ambient sources, it is crucial to reduce the resonant frequency of the energy harvester to match that of the ambient sources. In this study, the energy harvester’s resonant frequency dependency on proof mass is thoroughly investigated using the finite element method (FEM). Further, the FEM results are experimentally validated through a custom-designed vibration set-up. Different ambient vibration energy sources, their vibrating frequencies, and accelerations are examined to harness direct mechanical energy and convert it into electric energy using the piezoelectric sensor. Further, the effective proof mass and position are determined to achieve the targeted frequency obtained from ambient sources. Consequently, the harvester is utilized for direct energy harvesting from the ambient sources. The addition of proof mass can lower the resonant frequency of the harvester from 160 Hz to 40 Hz allowing the harvester to vibrate at maximum amplitude to obtain maximum output voltage. Significant enhancement of output power is observed after the tuning of harvester resonant frequency, harvesting a maximum output power of 19.29 μW when mechanically sourced from the bike mirror, measured at an acceleration of 4.50 g at 43 Hz.

Theoretical and experimental research on a Quasi-Zero-Stiffness-Enabled nonlinear piezoelectric energy harvester

Piezoelectric material provides a convenient and efficient avenue to convert ambient vibration energy into electrical energy to power wireless sensor network nodes of Internet of Things. However, the design of effective ultralow-frequency and low-amplitude harvesters using piezoelectric materials remains a challenge. To address this challenging problem, this paper devises a quasi-zero-stiffness-enabled (QZSE) piezoelectric energy harvester based on a geometrical nonlinear structure. The basic configuration and operation principles of the QZSE piezoelectric energy harvester ware elaborated firstly, then the nonlinear electromechanical coupling equation is derived, whose solution informs on both the dynamic and electrical responses of the harvester. The electromechanical-coupled equations are solved with the aid of the fourth-order Runge-Kutta algorithm. The energy harvesting performance is then investigated with respect to the parameter effects of excitation, damping and proof mass. For validating numerical results and demonstrating the advantages of the proposed design, a prototype is fabricated and experimentally tested. The results confirm the ability of the QZSE piezoelectric energy harvester in producing effective vibration-to-electricity energy conversion in ultralow frequency range. This study provides new impetus to energy harvesting from ultralow frequency ambient vibration using piezoelectric materials.

Investigative Study of the Effect of Damping and Stiffness Nonlinearities on an Electromagnetic Energy Harvester at Low-Frequency Excitations

Ambient vibration energy is widely being harnessed as a source of electrical energy to drive low-power devices. The vibration energy harvester (VEH) of interest employs an electromagnetic transduction mechanism, whereby ambient mechanical vibration is converted to electrical energy. The limitations affecting the performance of VEHs, with an electromagnetic transduction structure, include its operational bandwidth as well as the enclosure-size constraint. In this study, an analysis and design of a nonlinear VEH system is conducted using the Output Frequency Response Function (OFRF) representations of the actual system model. However, the OFRF representations are determined from the Generalised Associated Linear Equation (GALE) decompositions of the system of interest. The effect of both nonlinear damping and stiffness characteristics, to, respectively, extend the average power and operational bandwidth of the VEH device, is demonstrated.

A comparative analysis of parallel SSHI and SEH for bistable vibration energy harvesters

The present work focuses on ambient vibration energy harvesting. Specifically, this article deals with bistable piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) which exhibits a wider bandwidth than linear oscillators. These complex systems require an energy extraction circuit (EEC) to rectify their voltage to supply power to autonomous sensors. This EEC needs to be optimized in order to increase the harvested power and even the bandwidth of PEHs. Because of the complex dynamics of bistable PEHs, there is a lack of simple and physically-insightful models in the literature that would allow the understanding and optimization of the extraction circuit. To address this issue, the present work derives closed-form models of a bistable PEH coupled to a passive and an active synchronous EEC: respectively the standard energy harvesting (SEH) circuit and the parallel synchronized switch harvesting on inductor (P-SSHI) circuit. Experimental measurements conducted on a custom bistable PEH demonstrate the validity of the proposed models with a relative error lower than 15% on the harvested power and the bandwidth. The proposed models allow to easily understand the influence of the P-SSHI circuit on the dynamics of a bistable PEH. Moreover, a comparison of the performance of the SEH and the P-SSHI circuits, valid for any bistable generator, is proposed. The latter shows that under low electromechanical coupling and low acceleration amplitude the P-SSHI circuit leads to multiply the maximum harvested power up to 4.3 compared to the SEH circuit, and the bandwidth by a factor of 2.3.

An Impact-Driven Enhanced Tuning Fork for Low-Frequency Ambient Vibration Energy Harvesting: Modeling, Simulation, and Experiment

An Impact-Driven Enhanced Tuning Fork for Low-Frequency Ambient Vibration Energy Harvesting: Modeling, Simulation, and Experiment

Harvesting vibration energy by branch structures and amplified inertial force acting on piezoelectric sheets

To improve the efficiency of ambient vibration energy harvesting, a novel vibration energy harvester with branch structures is proposed, which primarily generates electric output through dynamic force rather than deflection. When excited, the branch can amplify the inertial force and acts on piezoelectric sheets perpendicularly. This capability allows the harvester to generate a substantial output without undergoing excessive deflection. Theoretical models are established, and corresponding dynamic equations are derived using the Lagrange equation. The simulation results show that there exists super-harmonic resonance in the response. The validation experiments were carried out, in which the excitation types were chosen as the sweeping-frequency, harmonic and random types sequentially. The experiment results for sweeping-frequency and harmonic excitations demonstrate the occurrence of super-harmonic vibration and resonance in the response. These phenomena lead to a significant increase in output voltages. The experiments involving stochastic excitations demonstrate the harvester's capability to generate large outputs under weak random excitations, with a piezoelectric material with dimensions of 10 × 10 × 0.2 mm3. The root mean square of output power could reach 46.24 μW under the excitation of power spectrum density of 0.06 g2/Hz, about 80 % higher than the classical inverted-beam harvester.

Towards System-Level Simulation of a Miniature Electromagnetic Energy Harvester Model

Energy harvesting, a solution to provide a lifetime power supply to wireless sensor nodes, has attracted widespread attention in the last two decades. An energy harvester collects ambient energy, e.g., solar, thermal, or vibration energy, and transforms it into electrical energy. In this work, we work on an electromagnetic energy harvester model, which is composed of four magnets oscillating along a coil. Such a device converts the vibrational energy into electrical energy. We reproduce the electromagnetic energy harvester model in finite element-based software. In order to include this model in a system-level simulation, the methodology of extracting a look-up table-based equivalent circuit model is presented. Such an equivalent circuit model enables the interaction of the electromagnetic energy harvester model with both electrical and mechanical compact models at the system-level. Furthermore, the matrix interpolation-based and algebraic parameterization-based parametric model order reduction methods are suggested for speeding up the generation of the equivalent circuit model and the design optimization process with respect to magnet dimensions. The efficiencies of these two methods are investigated and compared.

A magnetoelectric heterostructure employing a magnetic levitation mechanism for harvesting low-frequency vibration energy

A magnetoelectric (ME) heterostructure using shear-mode ME transducers to extract ambient low-frequency vibration energy is proposed. The demand for the traditional mechanical spring is eliminated by utilizing a magnetic levitation mechanism. When the suspending magnet moves relative to the ME transducers, the piezoelectric plates deform in shear mode owing to the magnetostriction of the magnetostrictive plates, and large shear piezoelectric effect is induced. Consequently, larger voltages can be produced by the presented device. The kinetic equation of the energy harvesting system is derived and solved, and the maximum output power is obtained based on the vibration rule and the variation of the sensed magnetic field. The feasibility of the heterostructure is experimentally verified. The maximum load power increases with acceleration. A maximum output power of 1.46mW is generated across a 1.25MΩ resistive load at the acceleration of 0.7g. The generated energy of the heterostructure is sufficient to drive a low-power electronic device. Improvements are feasible, which allow an obvious increase of the maximum output powers by employing a Halbach array with a particular arrangement of the magnets.

Spherical Magnetoelastic Generator for Multidirectional Vibration Energy Harvesting.

Vibration is a common, usually wasted energy, and an attractive target for sustainable electricity generation. In this work, we introduce a new working mechanism to the vibration energy harvesting community by contributing a spherical magnetoelastic generator (S-MEG), which permits multidirectional vibration and is highly adaptable to many natural oscillation frequencies, exhibiting a resonant frequency of 24 Hz and a relatively wide working bandwidth of 15 Hz in the low-frequency range. It also features a low internal impedance of 70 Ω, which can respectively deliver a maximum short-circuit current density of 7.962 A·m-2 and a power density of 15.1 mW·m-2. To demonstrate the capability of S-MEG for ambient vibration energy harvesting, a 220 μF commercial capacitor was successfully charged to 2 V within 25 s, sustainably driving wearable bioelectronics for multiple physiological information monitoring. It could also harvest multidirectional vibration energy from both hand-shaking and bicycle-riding, generating approximately 2.5 mA and 6 mA alternating current from the motions, respectively, even with heavy perspiration or on a rainy day without the need for encapsulation. In summary, this work brings forth an appealing platform technology to the community of vibration energy harvesting, holding a collection of compelling features, including high current density, low inner impedance, intrinsic waterproofness, and scalability for large-scale vibration energy harvesting.

Autonomous Resonance‐Tuning Mechanism for Environmental Adaptive Energy Harvesting (Adv. Sci. 3/2023)

Piezoelectric Energy Harvester A piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) that converts unused ambient vibration energy into useful electricity can alleviate issues related to the battery maintenance and power line installation of IoT sensors. To maximize the harvesting power, the resonance frequency of the PEH should match the dominant frequency of the ambient vibrations. In article number 2205179, Kyung-Hoon Cho, Hyun-Cheol Song, and co-workers report a novel autonomous resonance-tuning (ART) PEH that autonomously adjusts its resonance frequency in accordance with ambient vibrations without any external assistance or human intervention. The PEH design methodology to implement the ART function is provided along with its real-world validation under low-frequency (<100 Hz) complex vibrations in which the acceleration and frequency change simultaneously.

A pendulum-based absorber-harvester with an embedded hybrid vibro-impact electromagnetic-dielectric generator

In this paper, a novel hybrid vibro-impact electromagnetic-dielectric generator (VI EDG) is proposed, which is further embedded into a pendulum structure to form a pendulum-based absorber-harvester (PAH) system. The PAH system can convert the vibration energy into electrical one with the help of the VI EDG, and has the potential to reduce the swing amplitude of the pendulum. The physical model of the PAH system is first introduced, and its governing equations involving the dynamical and electrical parts are derived based on the Euler-Lagrange’s equation of a non-conservative system. Next, the governing equations of the PAH system are validated experimentally by measuring the swing motion of the pendulum under a given harmonic excitation. On this basis, the system energy harvesting performance under different excitation parameters (amplitude and frequency) and dimensional parameters (the rod’s length and the distance between two dielectric elastomer membranes) is fully investigated and explained through numerical simulations. Finally, the vibration absorption performance of the VI EDG is discussed by comparing the peak-to-peak values of the swing motions between the proposed PAH system and the conventional pendulum without embedded VI EDG. Research results show that the proposed VI EDG can not only effectively harvest ambient vibration energy from the pendulum system, but also has the potential to absorb the vibration of the system.

The Study of the Influence of Temperature and Low Frequency on the Performance of the Laminated MFC Piezoelectric Energy Harvester

MFC (Microfiber composite) piezoelectric transducers are one of the smart composite materials used among others in alternative energy sources and autonomous wireless sensors which exploit vibrational energy. This work presents the theoretical and experimental investigations of the integration of MFC piezoelectric transducers on epoxy glass fiber composite material and explores the capacity of power generation based on a variety of ambient temperatures and frequencies. The study examined the use of ambient vibrational energy to power small electronic devices of wireless sensor networks which eliminates the need for external power, periodic battery replacement costs, and chemical waste from conventional batteries. The test was conducted using a laboratory stand equipped with a thermal chamber and an Instron ElectroPulse waveform generator which induces a concentric cyclic load to the laminated beam. Laminated MFC was loaded with a low–frequency range, controlled displacement under different moderate temperatures. The test was conducted at temperatures ranging from 25 to 60 degrees Celsius and at frequencies ranging from 5 to 25 Hz. The results show that the voltage generated by the transducer is highly affected by both temperature and frequency of excitation.

Applicability of magnetic force models for multi-stable energy harvesters

Multi-stable piezoelectric energy harvesters have been exploited to enhance performance for extracting ambient vibrational energy from a broadband energy source. Since magnetic force plays a significant role in enhancing the dynamic behavior of harvesters, it is necessary to model and understand the significant influencing of structural parameters on magnetic force. Recently, several theoretical modeling methods, including magnetic dipole, improved dipole, magnetic current, and magnetic charge models, have been developed to calculate the magnetic force in multi-stable energy harvesters. However, the influence of structural parameters and magnet dimensions on the accuracy of magnetic force calculation for these methods has not been analyzed. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the applicability of these methods under a range of operating conditions. New insights into the accuracy and application constraints of these methods are presented in this paper to calculate the impact of magnetic force on multi-stable energy harvesters. From the theoretical derivation of models and numerical results obtained, a quantitative assessment of errors under different structural parameters and magnet sizes is presented and compared to evaluate the application constraints. Moreover, experimental measurements are performed to verify the applicability of these modeling methods for bi-stable and tri-stable energy harvesters with different structural parameters.

Theoretical modelling and experimental investigation on a frequency up-converted nonlinear piezoelectric energy harvester

Ambient vibration energy harvesting has attracted the great attention of numerous researchers to replace the battery power supply strategy of electronic devices. However, the high natural frequency and narrow broadband operation are still significant shortcomings of the conventional vibration energy harvesters to be widely deployed. This paper presents a novel piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) based on the traditional impact frequency up-converted PEH to achieve lower and broader operating frequency. Nonlinear magnetic force is adopted to regulate the working frequency of PEH. Distributed-parameter modelling and magnetic force simplified modelling are applied in analyzing the piecewise linear dynamic characteristics of the low-frequency driving beam, and the piezoelectric effect is employed for calculating the output voltage of the high-frequency generating beams. Theoretical results comparison between the traditional impact PEH and the proposed novel PEH shows that the introduced nonlinear magnetic force offers a lower initial frequency and broader operating bandwidth. The comparison experimental study achieves a close match to the theoretical results. Under excitation conditions of 3 m/s 2 excitation acceleration, 3 mm impact distance, and 19 mm magnet distance, the initial frequency decreases by about 9.5 Hz, and the operating bandwidth increases from 9 Hz to 16.5 Hz. The maximum power output value of the proposed PEH is 0.491 mW. The novel proposed PEH in this paper provides promising guidance and understanding for energy harvesting in low and broadband environmental vibration. • A novel frequency up-converted nonlinear piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) is proposed for lower and wider bandwidth energy harvesting. • Developed the theoretical model and analyzed the performance of the device based on averaging method. • The comparison experimental results achieve a close match to the theoretical research that the novel PEH has lower and wider operating frequency than the conventional impact PEH.

Simple analytical models and analysis of bistable vibration energy harvesters

In order to scavenge the energy of ambient vibrations, bistable vibration energy harvesters constitute a promising solution due to their large frequency bandwidth. Because of their complex dynamics, simple models that easily explain and predict the behavior of such harvesters are missing from the literature. To tackle this issue, this paper derives simple analytical closed-form models of the characteristics of bistable energy harvesters (e.g. power-frequency response, displacement response, cut-off frequency of the interwell motion) by mean of truncated harmonic balance methods. Measurements on a bistable piezoelectric energy harvester illustrate that the proposed analytical models allow the prediction of the mechanical displacement and harvested power, with a relative error below 10%. From these models, the influences of various parameters such as the inertial mass, the acceleration amplitude, the electromechanical coupling, and the resistive load, are derived, analyzed and discussed. The proposed models and analysis give an intuitive understanding of the dynamics of bistable vibration energy harvesters, and can be exploited for their design and optimization.

A multi-folded-beam piezoelectric energy harvester for wideband energy harvesting under ultra-low harmonic acceleration

In this paper, a multi-folded-beam piezoelectric energy harvester (MFB-PEH) was proposed for low-power energy harvesting applications in wide frequency band, low frequency, and low amplitude vibration environments. The MFB-PEH consists of one traditional main beam and two new additional L-shaped wing beams, which are designed to improve the frequency bandwidth and harvest low frequency, low amplitude ambient vibration energy. Firstly, finite element method (FEM) was used to search for the optimal design that can make the operational bandwidth broader and yield the maximum power output. The experimental results reveal that the optimized MFB-PEH has three resonance frequencies in the ambient frequency range from 9 Hz to 20 Hz, which can broaden the operation bandwidth of the harvester. It is significant that the MFB-PEH device, excited at an ultra-low harmonic acceleration of 0.2 m/s2, generates a much higher output power of 29.0μW, four times higher than other multi-beam devices at the low frequency of ∼9.2 Hz. Finally, a packaged MFB-PEH was adopted to harvest the energy generated by human motion, where the MFB-PEH can generate a high voltage of 24 Vp−p when walking and 55 Vp−p when running. Our work has confirmed that the MFB-PEH is a good potential generator in wide frequency band, low frequency, and low amplitude vibration environments.