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Vibration Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensors

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A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Sensor Networks".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 32775

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Prof. Dr. Zdenek Hadas

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology, 616 69 Brno, Czech Republic
Interests: Vibration, Energy Harvesting Systems, Smart systems, Dynamics, Simulation and Modelling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Saša Zelenika

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Engineering & Centre for Micro- and Nanosciences and Technologies, University of Rijeka, Vukovarska 58, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
Interests: precision engineering, microsystems' technologies, structural analysis, mechatronics, compliant and energy harvesting devices, rehabilitation devices and measurement techniques

Dr. Vikram Pakrashi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University College Dublin, 4 Dublin, Ireland
Interests: vibration; energy harvesting; structural health monitoring and control; smart materials and structures; dynamical systems; risk quantification and reliability analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mechanical vibrations occur in most technical systems in operation. High level vibrations could indicate an overloaded or damaged technical system; these states and behaviours can be monitored or reported. These ambient vibrations may be used as an autonomous source of energy; vibration energy harvesters could be an alternative for the supply of low-power electronic systems for remote sensing of operations. However, a level of harvested energy is usually very low and the whole concept of vibration energy harvesting system operations (including power management electronics and wireless sensors) must be adapted for target applications.

In this Special Issue, we invite you to submit contributions covering the area of vibration energy harvesting systems, power management electronics, and finally sensor systems with energy harvesters. This Special Issue aims to present papers that include the design and testing of vibration energy harvesters; development of materials and structures for vibration energy harvesting; model-based design of whole harvesting system; modelling, simulation, and optimization analysis; integration of energy harvesting systems; as well as experimental verifications and case studies. Contributions supported by experimental results are particularly welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Zdenek Hadas
Prof. Dr. Saša Zelenika
Prof. Dr. Vikram Pakrashi
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Vibration
Energy Harvesting System
Electromagnetics
Piezoelectrics
Magnetostrictions
Power Management Electronics
Wireless Sensor
Wireless Monitoring

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 177 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Sensors Special Issue: “Vibration Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensors”

by Zdenek Hadas, Saša Zelenika and Vikram Pakrashi

Sensors 2022, 22(12), 4578; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s22124578 - 17 Jun 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1304

Abstract

Mechanical vibrations occur in the operation of most technical systems [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vibration Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensors)

Research

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15 pages, 3996 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Use of Magnetomechanical Effect for Energy Harvesting and Data Transfer

by Rafał Mech, Przemysław Wiewiórski and Karol Wachtarczyk

Sensors 2022, 22(9), 3304; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s22093304 - 26 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1561

Abstract

The presented paper describes a method where, with the use of a dedicated SMART Ultrasonic Resonant Power System (SURPS) developed by the authors, a power and data transfer between two devices can be performed at the same time. The proposed solution allows power to be supplied to the sensor, located in a hardly accessible place, with simultaneous data transfer in a half-duplex way (e.g., “question–response”). The power transmission mechanism is based on the excitation of a construction with a sinusoidal wave, with an actuator transforming this wave into useful, electrical power through a harvester device. Data transfer is achieved with the use of the F2F (Frequency Double Frequency) procedure, which is a kind of frequency modulation. To receive optimized parameters for each construction, an original software is developed, which allows the selection of the proper type of actuator, modulation, and frequency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vibration Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensors)

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13 pages, 3519 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rapid Demagnetization of New Hybrid Core for Energy Harvesting

by Rafał Mech, Przemysław Wiewiórski and Karol Wachtarczyk

Sensors 2022, 22(6), 2102; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s22062102 - 09 Mar 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1497

Abstract

This paper presents the results obtained using the rapid demagnetization method in the case of an NdFeB magnet and a new hybrid core. The developed core consists of three basic elements: an NdFeB magnet, Terfenol-D, and a specifically developed metallic alloy prepared by means of a suction casting method. The main goal of proposing a new type of core in the event of rapid demagnetization is to partially replace the permanent magnet with another material to reduce the rare-earth material while keeping the amount of generated electricity at a level that makes it possible to power low-power electrical devices. To “capture” the rapid change of magnetic flux, a small number of coils were made around the core. However, the very low voltage level at very high current required the use of specialized electronic transducers capable of delivering a voltage level appropriate for powering a microprocessor system. To overcome this problem, a circuit designed by the authors that enabled voltage processing from low impedance magnetic circuits was used. The obtained results demonstrated the usefulness of the system at resonant frequencies of up to 1 MHz. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vibration Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensors)

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19 pages, 7338 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Kinetic Electromagnetic Energy Harvester for Railway Applications—Development and Test with Wireless Sensor

by Zdenek Hadas, Ondrej Rubes, Filip Ksica and Jan Chalupa

Sensors 2022, 22(3), 905; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s22030905 - 25 Jan 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3146

Abstract

This paper deals with a development and lab testing of energy harvesting technology for autonomous sensing in railway applications. Moving trains are subjected to high levels of vibrations and rail deformations that could be converted via energy harvesting into useful electricity. Modern maintenance solutions of a rail trackside typically consist of a large number of integrated sensing systems, which greatly benefit from autonomous source of energy. Although the amount of energy provided by conventional energy harvesting devices is usually only around several milliwatts, it is sufficient as a source of electrical power for low power sensing devices. The main aim of this paper is to design and test a kinetic electromagnetic energy harvesting system that could use energy from a passing train to deliver sufficient electrical power for sensing nodes. Measured mechanical vibrations of regional and express trains were used in laboratory testing of the developed energy harvesting device with an integrated resistive load and wireless transmission system, and based on these tests the proposed technology shows a high potential for railway applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vibration Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensors)

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13 pages, 5087 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On Theoretical and Numerical Aspects of Bifurcations and Hysteresis Effects in Kinetic Energy Harvesters

by Grzegorz Litak, Jerzy Margielewicz, Damian Gąska, Andrzej Rysak and Carlo Trigona

Sensors 2022, 22(1), 381; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s22010381 - 05 Jan 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1824

Abstract

The piezoelectric energy-harvesting system with double-well characteristics and hysteresis in the restoring force is studied. The proposed system consists of a bistable oscillator based on a cantilever beam structure. The elastic force potential is modified by magnets. The hysteresis is an additional effect of the composite beam considered in this system, and it effects the modal solution with specific mass distribution. Consequently, the modal response is a compromise between two overlapping, competing shapes. The simulation results show evolution in the single potential well solution, and bifurcations into double-well solutions with the hysteretic effect. The maximal Lyapunov exponent indicated the appearance of chaotic solutions. Inclusion of the shape branch overlap parameter reduces the distance between the external potential barriers and leads to a large-amplitude solution and simultaneously higher voltage output with smaller excitation force. The overlap parameter works in the other direction: the larger the overlap value, the smaller the voltage output. Presumably, the successful jump though the potential barrier is accompanied by an additional switch between the corresponding shapes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vibration Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensors)

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21 pages, 70502 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Analysis and Experimental Verification of Damage Identification Metrics for Smart Beam with MFC Elements to Support Structural Health Monitoring

by Andrzej Koszewnik, Kacper Lesniewski and Vikram Pakrashi

Sensors 2021, 21(20), 6796; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s21206796 - 13 Oct 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1879

Abstract

This paper investigates damage identification metrics and their performance using a cantilever beam with a piezoelectric harvester for Structural Health Monitoring. In order to do this, the vibrations of three different beam structures are monitored in a controlled manner via two piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEH) located in two different positions. One of the beams is an undamaged structure recognized as reference structure, while the other two are beam structures with simulated damage in form of drilling holes. Subsequently, five different damage identification metrics for detecting damage localization and extent are investigated in this paper. Overall, each computational model has been designed on the basis of the modified First Order Shear Theory (FOST), considering an MFC element consisting homogenized materials in the piezoelectric fiber layer. Frequency response functions are established and five damage metrics are assessed, three of which are relevant for damage localization and the other two for damage extent. Experiments carried out on the lab stand for damage structure with control damage by using a modal hammer allowed to verify numerical results and values of particular damage metrics. In the effect, it is expected that the proposed method will be relevant for a wide range of application sectors, as well as useful for the evolving composite industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vibration Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensors)

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22 pages, 4875 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimentally Verified Analytical Models of Piezoelectric Cantilevers in Different Design Configurations

by Zdenek Machu, Ondrej Rubes, Oldrich Sevecek and Zdenek Hadas

Sensors 2021, 21(20), 6759; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s21206759 - 12 Oct 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1841

Abstract

This paper deals with analytical modelling of piezoelectric energy harvesting systems for generating useful electricity from ambient vibrations and comparing the usefulness of materials commonly used in designing such harvesters for energy harvesting applications. The kinetic energy harvesters have the potential to be used as an autonomous source of energy for wireless applications. Here in this paper, the considered energy harvesting device is designed as a piezoelectric cantilever beam with different piezoelectric materials in both bimorph and unimorph configurations. For both these configurations a single degree-of-freedom model of a kinematically excited cantilever with a full and partial electrode length respecting the dimensions of added tip mass is derived. The analytical model is based on Euler-Bernoulli beam theory and its output is successfully verified with available experimental results of piezoelectric energy harvesters in three different configurations. The electrical output of the derived model for the three different materials (PZT-5A, PZZN-PLZT and PVDF) and design configurations is in accordance with lab measurements which are presented in the paper. Therefore, this model can be used for predicting the amount of harvested power in a particular vibratory environment. Finally, the derived analytical model was used to compare the energy harvesting effectiveness of the three considered materials for both simple harmonic excitation and random vibrations of the corresponding harvesters. The comparison revealed that both PZT-5A and PZZN-PLZT are an excellent choice for energy harvesting purposes thanks to high electrical power output, whereas PVDF should be used only for sensing applications due to low harvested electrical power output. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vibration Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensors)

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19 pages, 2296 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A New Method to Perform Direct Efficiency Measurement and Power Flow Analysis in Vibration Energy Harvesters

by Jan Kunz, Jiri Fialka, Stanislav Pikula, Petr Benes, Jakub Krejci, Stanislav Klusacek and Zdenek Havranek

Sensors 2021, 21(7), 2388; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s21072388 - 30 Mar 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2418

Abstract

Measuring the efficiency of piezo energy harvesters (PEHs) according to the definition constitutes a challenging task. The power consumption is often established in a simplified manner, by ignoring the mechanical losses and focusing exclusively on the mechanical power of the PEH. Generally, the input power is calculated from the PEH’s parameters. To improve the procedure, we have designed a method exploiting a measurement system that can directly establish the definition-based efficiency for different vibration amplitudes, frequencies, and resistance loads. Importantly, the parameters of the PEH need not be known. The input power is determined from the vibration source; therefore, the method is suitable for comparing different types of PEHs. The novel system exhibits a combined absolute uncertainty of less than 0.5% and allows quantifying the losses. The approach was tested with two commercially available PEHs, namely, a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) MIDE PPA-1011 and a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) TE LDTM-028K. To facilitate comparison with the proposed efficiency, we calculated and measured the quantity also by using one of the standard options (simplified efficiency). The standard concept yields higher values, especially in PVDFs. The difference arises from the device’s low stiffness, which produces high displacement that is proportional to the losses. Simultaneously, the insufficient stiffness markedly reduces the PEH’s mechanical power. This effect cannot be detected via the standard techniques. We identified the main sources of loss in the damping of the movement by the surrounding air and thermal losses. The latter source is caused by internal and interlayer friction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vibration Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensors)

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17 pages, 8957 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Load Resistance Optimization of Bi-Stable Electromagnetic Energy Harvester Based on Harmonic Balance

by Sungryong Bae and Pilkee Kim

Sensors 2021, 21(4), 1505; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s21041505 - 22 Feb 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2043

Abstract

In this study, a semi-analytic approach to optimizing the external load resistance of a bi-stable electromagnetic energy harvester is presented based on the harmonic balance method. The harmonic balance analyses for the primary harmonic (period-1T) and two subharmonic (period-3T and 5T) interwell motions of the energy harvester are performed with the Fourier series solutions of the individual motions determined by spectral analyses. For each motion, an optimization problem for maximizing the output power of the energy harvester is formulated based on the harmonic balance solutions and then solved to estimate the optimal external load resistance. The results of a parametric study show that the optimal load resistance significantly depends on the inductive reactance and internal resistance of a solenoid coil––the higher the oscillation frequency of an interwell motion (or the larger the inductance of the coil) is, the larger the optimal load resistance. In particular, when the frequency of the ambient vibration source is relatively high, the non-linear dynamic characteristics of an interwell motion should be considered in the optimization process of the electromagnetic energy harvester. Compared with conventional resistance-matching techniques, the proposed semi-analytic approach could provide a more accurate estimation of the external load resistance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vibration Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensors)

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26 pages, 5061 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Numerical Model for Experimental Designs of Vibration-Based Leak Detection and Monitoring of Water Pipes Using Piezoelectric Patches

by Favour Okosun, Mert Celikin and Vikram Pakrashi

Sensors 2020, 20(23), 6708; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s20236708 - 24 Nov 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3769

Abstract

While the potential use of energy harvesters as structural health monitors show promise, numerical models related to the design, deployment and performance of such monitors often present significant challenges. One such challenge lies in the problem of leak detection in fluid-carrying pipes. Recent advances in experimental studies on energy harvesters for such monitoring has been promising but there is a paucity in existing literature in linking relevant fluid–structure interaction models around such applications. This paper addresses the abovementioned issue by developing a numerical model with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element (FE) tools and carries out extensive analyses to compare it with existing experiments under controlled laboratory conditions. Conventional Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) films for leak detection and monitoring of water pipes were considered in this regard. The work provides guidelines on parameter selection and modeling for experimental design and repeatability of results for these types of experiments in future, around the demands of leak monitoring. The usefulness of such models is also demonstrated through the ability to estimate the optimum distribution frequency of these sensors that will enable the detection of the smallest leak of consequence under a known or established flow condition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vibration Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensors)

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20 pages, 7260 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamic Modeling and Experimental Validation of an Impact-Driven Piezoelectric Energy Harvester in Magnetic Field

by Chung-De Chen, Yu-Hsuan Wu and Po-Wen Su

Sensors 2020, 20(21), 6170; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s20216170 - 29 Oct 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1987

Abstract

In this study, an impact-driven piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) in magnetic field is presented. The PEH consists of a piezoelectric cantilever beam and plural magnets. At its initial status, the beam tip magnet is attracted by a second magnet. The second magnet is moved away by hand and then the beam tip magnet moves to a third magnet by the guidance of the magnetic fields. The impact occurs when the beam motion is stopped by the third magnet. The impact between magnets produces an impact energy and causes a transient beam vibration. The electric energy is generated by the piezoelectric effect. Based on the energy principle, a multi-DOF (multi-degree of freedom) mathematical model was developed to calculate the displacements, velocities, and voltage outputs of the PEH. A prototype of the PEH was fabricated. The voltages outputs of the beam were monitored by an oscilloscope. The maximum generated energy was about 0.4045 mJ for a single impact. A comparison between numerical and experimental results was presented in detail. It showed that the predictions based on the model agree with the experimental measurements. The PEH was connected to a diode bridge rectifier and a storage capacitor. The charges generated by the piezoelectric beam were stored in the capacitor by ten impacts. The experiments showed that the energy stored in the capacitor can light up the LED. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vibration Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensors)

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0 pages, 5968 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact-Driven Energy Harvesting: Piezoelectric Versus Triboelectric Energy Harvesters

by Panu Thainiramit, Phonexai Yingyong and Don Isarakorn

Sensors 2020, 20(20), 5828; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s20205828 - 15 Oct 2020

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 4502

Abstract

This work investigated the mechanical and electrical behaviors of piezoelectric and triboelectric energy harvesters (PEHs and TEHs, respectively) as potential devices for harvesting impact-driven energy. PEH and TEH test benches were designed and developed, aiming at harvesting low-frequency mechanical vibration generated by human activities, for example, a floor-tile energy harvester actuated by human footsteps. The electrical performance and behavior of these energy harvesters were evaluated and compared in terms of absolute energy and power densities that they provided and in terms of these energy and power densities normalized to unit material cost. Several aspects related to the design and development of PEHs and TEHs as the energy harvesting devices were investigated, covering the following topics: construction and mechanism of the energy harvesters; electrical characteristics of the fabricated piezoelectric and triboelectric materials; and characterization of the energy harvesters. At a 4 mm gap width between the cover plate and the stopper (the mechanical actuation components of both energy harvesters) and a cover plate pressing frequency of 2 Hz, PEH generated 27.64 mW, 1.90 mA, and 14.39 V across an optimal resistive load of 7.50 kΩ, while TEH generated 1.52 mW, 8.54 µA, and 177.91 V across an optimal resistive load of 21 MΩ. The power and energy densities of PEH (4.57 mW/cm³ and 475.13 µJ/cm³) were higher than those of TEH (0.50 mW/cm³, and 21.55 µJ/cm³). However, when the material cost is taken into account, TEH provided higher power and energy densities per unit cost. Hence, it has good potential for upscaling, and is considered well worth the investment. The advantages and disadvantages of PEH and TEH are also highlighted as main design factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vibration Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensors)

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15 pages, 2545 KiB

Open AccessLetter

Performance of An Electromagnetic Energy Harvester with Linear and Nonlinear Springs under Real Vibrations

by Tra Nguyen Phan, Sebastian Bader and Bengt Oelmann

Sensors 2020, 20(19), 5456; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/s20195456 - 23 Sep 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2514

Abstract

The introduction of nonlinearities into energy harvesting in order to improve the performance of linear harvesters has attracted a lot of research attention recently. The potential benefits of nonlinear harvesters have been evaluated under sinusoidal or random excitation. In this paper, the performances of electromagnetic energy harvesters with linear and nonlinear springs are investigated under real vibration data. Compared to previous studies, the parameters of linear and nonlinear harvesters used in this paper are more realistic and fair for comparison since they are extracted from existing devices and restricted to similar sizes and configurations. The simulation results showed that the nonlinear harvester did not generate higher power levels than its linear counterpart regardless of the excitation category. Additionally, the effects of nonlinearities were only available under a high level of acceleration. The paper also points out some design concerns when harvesters are subjected to real vibrations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vibration Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensors)

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