Applications of a Novel Tunable Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvester

Abstract

Conversion of ambient energy to usable electrical energy is attracting attention from researchers since providing a maintenance-free power source for the sensors is critical in any IoT (Internet of Things)-based system and in SHM (structural health monitoring). Continuous health monitoring of structures is advantageous since the damage can be identified at inception and the necessary action taken. Sensor technology has advanced significantly, and MEMS (microelectromechanical systems)-based low-power sensors are available for incorporating into large structures. Relevant signal conditioning and transmission modules have also evolved, making them power-efficient and miniaturized. Various micro wireless sensor nodes (WSN) have also been developed in recent years that require very little power. This paper describes the applications of a novel tunable piezoelectric vibration energy harvester (PVEH) for providing autonomous power to low-power MEMS sensors for use in IoT and remote SHM. The novel device uses piezoelectric material and an ionic polymer–metal composite (IPMC) and enables electrical tuning of the resonant frequency using a small portion of the power generated.

Scalable electromagnetic energy harvester for wind turbine rotor blade applications

“…To address this challenge, typically two types of energy harvester designs are investigated: resonant and rotational energy harvesters. Resonant sensors usually use cantilever like structures which are tuned so that their resonances match the occurring frequencies of the underlying vibrating structure [6,7]. Considering that every rotor blade has a unique vibrational spectrum which changes due to aging, wear or accidental events like lightning or icing [8][9][10][11], the use of resonant energy harvesters, which usually have a very limited bandwidth, is very challenging.…”