A Review on Mechanical Motion Rectifier for Energy Harvesting

Abstract

The conventional vehicle suspension dissipates the mechanical vibration energy in the form of heat which waste considerable energy. The regenerative suspensions have attracted much attention in recent years for the improvement of vibration attenuating performance as well as the reduction of energy dissipation. In fact, the vibrations in some situations can be very large, for example, the vibrations of tall buildings, long vehicle systems, railroads and ocean waves. With the global concern on energy and environmental issues, energy harvesting from large-scale vibrations is more attractive. This paper introduces the existing research and significance of regenerative shock absorbers and reviews the potential of automotive vibration energy recovery techniques; then, it classifies and summarizes the general classifications of regenerative shock absorbers. Keywords: Mechanical vibration, regenerative suspension, energy dissipation, railroads, ocean waves, vehicle.