Exploiting the voltage sensitivity of magnetostrictive transducer for energy harvesting and sensor applications

Abstract

Magnetostrictive transducer, as a kind of high-efficiency transducer, has a broad application in the field of energy harvesting and sensor. However, the voltage generating performance of the transducer limits its application. This paper will endeavor to quantify the load-induced voltage of magnetostrictive transducer by developing a holistic theoretical model and deriving the corresponding analytical solution. On this basis, this paper proposed the concept of voltage sensitivity in transducer optimization, which could quantitatively analyze the normalized voltage generated by a unit excitation. Based on the theoretical simulation and experimental validation, the voltage sensitivities of magnetostrictive transducer under different mechanical loads are investigated. The parametric analysis will be conducted to further optimize the transducer structure to enhance its open-circuit and load voltage. The works of this paper could be instructive to guide magnetostrictive transducer design in sensing and energy harvesting applications.