Energy Harvesting of a Magnetostrictive Beam Model Based on Galfenol Alloy

Abstract

-In the paper the magnetostrictive (MsM) cantilever beam model was analysed. The MsM material was taken into account as Galfenol, the alloy including the Gallium and the Ferrum. The burdened beam system via external excitation produces the magnetic field due to created maximal stress on the external beam fibres. By applied the external coil subsystem, the electrical energy was captured. The main goal of the analysis was to investigate the influence of the beam neutral axis position for energy harvesting efficiency. In case, the neutral axis agrees with the symmetry axis of the magnetostrictive beam, the magnetic fields cancel each other out, while stress is on. This effect disappears while the neutral axis is moved beyond the MsM beam's symmetry. It was estimated the influence of the beam response vibration amplitude on the output electric energy extracted from the system, at increased an effective MsM layer. It was analysed in the vicinity of the first resonance frequency, where the output voltage reached the maximum values.