Abstract. This paper presents a new wideband electromagnetic vibration energy harvester (VEH) composed of a magnetic core embedded into the coil axis. The magnetic core generates a nonlinear magnetic force, which gives rise to the nonlinearity in the behavior of the VEH. Moreover, the magnetic core increases the flux linkage with the coil. These features improve the operational bandwidth and output power of the VEH. Numerical analysis and experimental measurements reveal that the operational bandwidth of the proposed VEH is over 30Hz in which the output power is kept about 0.1mW. Moreover, the proposed VEH operates by complicated oscillation due to nonlinear forces acting on the oscillator. Evaluation of the Lyapunov exponent for the measured oscillation suggests that the proposed VEH produces chaotic oscillation.
IntroductionEnergy harvesting has been receiving much attention as a voltage source for low-power electronic devices. So-called harvesting devices make it possible to create self-powered systems. In particular, the harvesting devices can be effectively used in wireless sensor networks for monitoring of structures such as bridges and tunnels [1][2][3]. Wireless sensor nodes with the harvesting devices can work for a long time without having to replace their batteries. Hence, the energy harvesting can realize wireless sensor systems with a large number of sensor nodes, which are suitable for monitoring the "health" of structures. The electromagnetic vibration energy harvester (VEH) [e.g. 4, 5] transforms vibration energy into electrical energy through magnetic induction. The VEHs basically consist of permanent magnets and pick-up coils. The magnets, which are oscillated by ambient vibrations, are placed on a cantilever. As a result, the magnetic flux across the coil temporally changes, and an electromotive force is induced.Conventional VEHs produce the electrical energy through linear spring-damper oscillations. The maximum output power is thus generated when the ambient vibration matches the natural frequencies of a VEH. Linear VEHs are designed to have a high Q-factor in order to increase the output power at resonance. However, the ambient vibration in real constructions usually has very complicated vibration modes with a wide frequency spectrum [6]. It is clear that linear VEHs can absorb very little energy from such vibrations. To make effective energy harvesting from real-world vibrations, VEHs should have a wide frequency response.