Energy harvesting technology is becoming increasingly important with the appearance of the Internet of things. In this study, a magnetostrictive clad steel plate for harvesting vibration energy was proposed. It comprises a cold-rolled FeCo alloy and cold-rolled steel joined together by thermal diffusion bonding. The performances of the magnetostrictive FeCo clad steel plate and conventional FeCo plate cantilevers were compared under bending vibration; the results indicated that the clad steel plate construct exhibits high voltage and power output compared to a single-plate construct. Finite element analysis of the cantilevers under bending provided insights into the magnetic features of a clad steel plate, which is crucial for its high performance. For comparison, the experimental results of a commercial piezoelectric bimorph cantilever were also reported. In addition, the cold-rolled FeCo and Ni alloys were joined by thermal diffusion bonding, which exhibited outstanding energy harvesting performance. The larger the plate volume, the more the energy generated. The results of this study indicated not only a promising application for the magnetostrictive FeCo clad steel plate as an efficient energy harvester, related to small vibrations, but also the notable feasibility for the formation of integrated units to support high-power trains, automobiles, and electric vehicles.

The design of miniaturized, long-lasting power supplies for portable internet of things (IoT) equipment has been identified as a critical problem constraining further development of the IoT. A promising methodology is able to resolve the problem by harvesting dissipated energy such as vibration in the environment or in a system to form self-powered microsystems. In this work, the performance of vibration energy harvesting using a magnetostrictive iron-cobalt/nickel (FeCo/ Ni)-clad plate cantilever was examined both theoretically and experimentally. The experimental results indicate that the output power of the FeCo/Ni-clad plate cantilever shows significant improvement in comparison to a single FeCo plate, as a result of the inverse magnetostrictive properties of the FeCo and Ni layers in response to tension or compression. Finite element analysis illustrates how the unidirectional and identical magnetic induction in the upper and lower sides (i.e. the FeCo and Ni layers) gives rise to this enhanced output. The analysis also demonstrates the cancellation of the positive and negative magnetic induction within the interior of the single FeCo plate. This study not only provides insights into the magnetic features of a FeCo/Ni-clad plate but also proposes a feasible method for realizing industrial applications.

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A class of the magnetostrictive iron-cobalt/nickel clad plate cantilever is prepared in this study. The relevant ability for harvesting vibration energy is systematically investigated in comparison with the single iron-cobalt cantilever. In addition, the effects of the magnitude of bias magnetic field (i.e., external magnetic field) and the magnetization angle on the energy-harvesting performance are considered. The results indicated that the iron-cobalt/nickel clad plate cantilever exhibits far greater power generation compared with that of the single iron-cobalt cantilever. Besides, the iron-cobalt/nickel clad plate cantilever displayed high sensitivity to the magnitude of bias magnetic field and the magnetization angle. In more detail, the output voltage of the iron-cobalt/nickel clad plate cantilever peaks at a point even while the bias magnetic field constantly increases. A theory of dynamic balance can explain this phenomenon. Meanwhile, the resonance frequency of the iron-cobalt/nickel clad plate cantilever is proportional to the bias magnetic field due to the influence of the elastic modulus variation. This work provides insights into the exploration and design, not only of the vibration-energy-harvesting components but also of the sensitive detectors.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has spread rapidly around the world. In order to prevent the spread of infection, city blockades and immigration restrictions have been introduced in each country, but these measures have a severe serious impact on the economy. This paper examines the possibility of both harvesting vibration energy and detecting mass by using a magnetostrictive alloy. Few efforts have been made to develop new magnetostrictive biosensor materials. Therefore, we propose magnetostrictive Fe-Co/Ni clad steel vibration energy harvesters with mass detection, and we numerically and experimentally discuss the effect of the proof mass weight on the frequency shift and output voltage induced by bending vibration. The results reveal that the frequency and output voltage decrease significantly as the mass increases, indicating that the energy harvesting device is capable of mass detection. In the future, device miniaturization and the possibility of virus detection will be considered.