This paper presents design, analysis, and characterization of a compliant non-linear electromagnetic energy harvester operating on the principle of bi-stability incorporated with a displacement amplification mechanism. The energy harvester engenders energy from ambient vibrations at multiple modes and with frequencies ranging from 80 to 120 Hz. The energy harvester is analytically modeled using the mechanic’s elastic beam theory. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) has been carried out using commercial Finite Element Method (FEM) based software to perform static, fatigue, dynamic and electromagnetic analysis. Bi-stable mechanism has been used to harness energy at a wider frequency bandwidth while lever mechanism is acting as a displacement amplifier for enhancing low frequency vibration amplitude with the amplification factor of 6.24. With such amplification factor, the energy harvester can be deployed to extract vibrations of diminutive level and recast them into electrical energy in the form of generated voltage. Spring steel material, owing to its structural sensitivity, stiffness and higher value of ultimate stress, was used for its fabrication. The use of Neodymium (N52) magnets, copper coils and shaker were put into practice for testing of this device. The coil resistance is 2.5 Ω with number of turns kept at 350. The maximum output voltage of 1.86 V was generated at 106 Hz with root mean square value of 548 mV. Testing results are in accordance with the results obtained through simulations and thus useful electrical power of 11.1 mW can be generated from ambient vibrations at a wider bandwidth of 18 Hz with operating frequency ranging from 99 to 117 Hz.
WangTZhangY. Design, analysis, and evaluation of a compact electromagnetic energy harvester from water flow for remote sensors. Energies2018; 11(6): 1424.
2.
WhelanMJGangoneMVJanoyanKD, et al. Real-time wireless vibration monitoring for operational modal analysis of an integral abutment highway bridge. Eng Struct2009; 31(10): 2224–2235.
3.
ErturkAInmanDJ. Broadband piezoelectric power generation on high-energy orbits of the bistable Duffing oscillator with electromechanical coupling. J Sound Vib2011; 330(10): 2339–2353.
4.
WangJJPenamalliGPZuoL. Electromagnetic energy harvesting from train induced railway track vibrations. In: Proc 2012 8th IEEE/ASME Int Conf Mechatron Embed Syst Appl MESA 2012, 2012; 11787, pp.29–34. New York, NY: IEEE.
5.
FoisalARMChungGS. Design and analysis of a vibration-driven AA size electromagnetic energy harvester using magnetic spring. Trans Electr Electron Mater2012; 13(3): 125–128.
6.
LiZBrindakZZuoL. Modeling of an electromagnetic vibration energy harvester with motion magnification. In: Proceedings of the ASME 2011 international mechanical engineering congress and exposition. Volume 7: Dynamic systems and control; mechatronics and intelligent machines, parts A and B. Denver, CO, 11–17 November 2011, pp.285–293. New York, NY: ASME.
7.
LiuHQianYLeeC. A multi-frequency vibration-based MEMS electromagnetic energy harvesting device. Sens Actuators A Phys2013; 204: 37–43.
8.
PodderPAmannARoyS. FR4 based bistable electromagnetic vibration energy harvester. Procedia Eng2014; 87: 767–770.
9.
JungWOhSBangS, et al. A 3nW fully integrated energy harvester based on self-oscillating switched-capacitor DC–DC converter. In: Proceedings of the IEEE international solid state circuits conference (ISSCC), San Francisco, CA, 9–13 February 2014, pp.398–399. New York, NY: IEEE.
10.
CottoneFGammaitoniLVoccaH, et al. Piezoelectric buckled beams for random vibration energy harvesting. Smart Mater Struct2012; 21: 035021.
11.
CottoneFBassetPVoccaH, et al. Bistable electromagnetic generator based on buckled beams for vibration energy harvesting. J Intell Mater Syst Struct2014; 25: 1484–1495.
12.
LiuHHow KohKLeeC. Ultra-wide frequency broadening mechanism for micro-scale electromagnetic energy harvester. Appl Phys Lett2014; 104(5). DOI: 10.1063/1.4863565
13.
ElsisyMAnisYArafaM, et al. Displacement amplification using a compliant mechanism for vibration energy harvesting. In: Proceedings of the ASME 2015 international mechanical engineering congress and exposition, 2017, pp.1–9. New York, NY: ASME.
14.
SordoGSerraESchmidU, et al. Optimization method for designing multimodal piezoelectric MEMS energy harvesters. Microsyst Technol2016; 22(7): 1811–1820.
15.
ChiacchiariSRomeoFMcFarlandDM, et al. Vibration energy harvesting from impulsive excitations via a bistable nonlinear attachment. Int J Non Linear Mech2017; 94: 84–97.
16.
WuZNguyenDSWhiteRM, et al. Electromagnetic energy harvester for atmospheric sensors on overhead power distribution lines. J Phys Conf Ser2018; 1052(1). DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/1052/1/012081
17.
WangPYangFGaoM, et al. Study on an elastic lever system for electromagnetic energy harvesting from rail vibration. J Vibroengineering2019; 21: 384–395.
18.
ZhangBZhangQWangW, et al. Dynamic modeling and structural optimization of a bistable electromagnetic vibration energy harvester. Energies2019; 12(12): 2410.
19.
OstrowskiMBłachowskiBBocheńskiM, et al. Design of nonlinear electromagnetic energy harvester equipped with mechanical amplifier and spring bumpers. Bull Pol Acad Sci Tech Sci2020; 68(6): 1373–1383.
20.
YuNMaHWuC, et al. Modeling and experimental investigation of a novel bistable two-degree-of-freedom electromagnetic energy harvester. Mech Syst Signal Process2021; 156: 107608.
21.
HuangXYangB. Improving energy harvesting from impulsive excitations by a nonlinear tunable bistable energy harvester. Mech Syst Signal Process2021; 158: 107797.
22.
WangHShiGHanC. A free-standing electromagnetic energy harvester for condition monitoring in smart grid. Wirel Power Transf2021; 2021: 1–14.
23.
ZhangJLiXFengX, et al. A novel electromagnetic bistable vibration energy harvester with an elastic boundary: numerical and experimental study. Mech Syst Signal Process2021; 160: 107937.
24.
LiXMengJYangC, et al. A magnetically coupled electromagnetic energy harvester with low operating frequency for human body kinetic energy. Micromachines2021; 12(11). DOI: 10.3390/mi12111300
25.
BeebySPTorahRNTudorMJ, et al. A micro electromagnetic generator for vibration energy harvesting. J Micromech Microeng2007; 17(7): 1257–1265.
26.
TorresEORincon-MoraGA. Electrostatic energy-harvesting and battery-charging CMOS system prototype. IEEE Trans Circuits Syst I Regul Pap2009; 56(9): 1938–1948.
27.
ErturkAInmanDJ. A distributed parameter electromechanical model for cantilevered piezoelectric energy harvesters. J Vib Acoust2008; 130(4): 1–15.
28.
KimGWKimJ. Compliant bistable mechanism for low frequency vibration energy harvester inspired by auditory hair bundle structures. Smart Mater Struct2013; 22(1). DOI: 10.1088/0964-1726/22/1/014005
29.
AndòBBaglioSTrigonaC, et al. Nonlinear mechanism in MEMS devices for energy harvesting applications. J Micromech Microeng2010; 20(12). DOI: 10.1088/0960-1317/20/12/125020
30.
LiuHHouCLinJ, et al. A non-resonant rotational electromagnetic energy harvester for low-frequency and irregular human motion. Appl Phys Lett2018; 113(20). DOI: 10.1063/1.5053945
31.
WangPDaiXMiaoX, et al. A microelectroplated magnetic vibration energy scavenger for wireless sensor microsystems. In: 2010 IEEE 5th Int Conf Nano/Micro Eng Mol Syst NEMS 2010, 2010 (50977056), pp.383–386. New York, NY: IEEE.
32.
DuffyMCarrollD. Electromagnetic generators for power harvesting. In: PESC Record - IEEE annual power electronics specialists Conference, 2004, vol. 3, pp.2075–2081. New York, NY: IEEE.
33.
LiangHHaoGOlszewskiOZ, et al. Ultra-low wide bandwidth vibrational energy harvesting using a statically balanced compliant mechanism. Int J Mech Sci2022; 219: 107130.
34.
DingJSuYZhangK. Structure analysis and output performance of vibration energy harvester based on diamagnetic levitation. Energy Proc2019; 158: 5575–5580.
35.
SongHCKangCYYoonSJ, et al. Analysis of stress distribution in flexible piezoelectric energy harvester. J Ceram Soc Japan2009; 117(1370): 1074–1077.
36.
ZhangQWangYKimES. Electromagnetic energy harvester with flexible coils and magnetic spring for 1–10 Hz resonance. J Microelectromech Syst2015; 24(4): 1193–1206.
37.
HalimMAChoHParkJY. Design and experiment of a human-limb driven, frequency up-converted electromagnetic energy harvester. Energy Convers Manag2015; 106: 393–404.
38.
WangWCaoJZhangN, et al. Magnetic-spring based energy harvesting from human motions: design, modeling and experiments. Energy Convers Manag2017; 132: 189–197.
39.
YlliKHoffmannDWillmannA. Energy harvesting from human motion: exploiting swing and shock excitations. Smart Mater Struct2015; 24: 025029.
40.
ZhangQWangYKimES, et al. Power generation from human body motion through magnet and coil arrays with magnetic spring. J Appl Phys2014; 115: 064908.
41.
LiCWuSLukPCK, et al. Enhanced bandwidth nonlinear resonance electromagnetic human motion energy harvester using magnetic springs and ferrofluid. IEEE/ASME Trans Mechatron2019; 24(2): 710–717.
