Analytical and numerical fluid–structure interaction study of a microscale piezoelectric wind energy harvester

Abstract

In this paper, an analytical approach and two numerical models have been developed to study an energy-harvesting device for micropower generation. This device uses wind energy to oscillate a cantilevered beam attached to a piezoelectric layer for generating electric energy output. The analytical approach and the first numerical model consider the fluid-structure interaction phenomenon in the harvester performance.The equations governing beam oscillations and airflow have been coupled to a set of four differential equations in the analytical approach. This set of equations has been solved to determine the beam deflection and the air pressure variation with time.The numerical methods have been conducted by employing a commercial software.The results of the analytical method and the first numerical model have been compared in different working conditions, and their credibility has been discussed. In the second numerical model, the electromechanical performance of the piezoelectric material has also been incorporated in the harvester device analysis. This model has been verified against experimental data for the output voltage and power of the device available in the literature. Finally, the effect of different geometrical parameters has been studied on the harvester performance, and suggestions have been made to improve the harvester efficiency. K E Y W O R D Sanalytical and numerical approaches, fluid-structure interaction, microscale, piezoelectric wind energy harvester | INTRODUCTIONMicroelectronic and micromechanical systems such as wireless sensor networks, biomedical implantable devices, and health monitoring systems have gained extensive interest for various applications in the research community and industrial field. 1,2 These systems normally use batteries to provide electrical energy required for their operation. However, the need for regularly replacing or recharging batteries makes their application costly and cumbersome. Due to these concerns, technologies capable of generating electrical power by harvesting environmental energy have been considered as a promising alternative for batteries, especially for autonomous devices operating for long periods with no human intervention, 3-6 and various types of such technologies have been developed for harvesting energy from different sources like solar power, thermal gradients, mechanical vibrations, and air and water flows. 7,8 Airflow or wind is a renewable and green energy source widely available in many situations where microsystems are installed like heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, road and mining tunnels, and moving objects. In a comprehensive study, Watson et al. provided an expert view of emerging technologies within the wind energy sector considering their potential, challenges, and applications. For each technology, an

Computational modeling and theoretical analysis of polyvinylidene fluoride microarrays for hybrid piezo‐pyroelectric energy harvesting

“…Computational modeling provides a powerful tool to gain insight into the electromechanical behaviors and guide the design of PVDFbased harvesters. Various authors conducted finite element studies on the displacement of PVDF cantilever and actuator beams against the clamped end, [46][47][48][49][50][51][52] but there are scarcely literatures reported on the displacement along the arc length of PVDF arrays or nanofibers. [53][54][55][56] However, several works reported the distributions of piezoelectric potential under mechanical loadings.…”

Multimodal piezoelectric wind energy harvester for aerospace applications

“…29 During the fluid-structure interaction, the inherent structural dynamics play a prominent role in identifying the fluttering nature of the harvester. [30][31][32] The predefined boundary conditions of the host structure are also influenced by the fluid-induced vibrations, 33 and consequently, the electrical performance of the harvester changes dynamically. 34,35 Due to these reasons, whenever wind speed crosses a certain critical limit, the piezoelectric harvester tends to flap and due to the fluttering phenomenon, the harvester generates more consistent electrical energy.…”

“…Researchers have claimed that the proposed methodology would be best suited in designing the piezoelectric energy harvesters for micro‐aerial vehicles 29 . During the fluid‐structure interaction, the inherent structural dynamics play a prominent role in identifying the fluttering nature of the harvester 30‐32 . The predefined boundary conditions of the host structure are also influenced by the fluid‐induced vibrations, 33 and consequently, the electrical performance of the harvester changes dynamically 34,35 .…”

Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of an Arc-Plate-Shaped Bluff Body via Surrogate Modeling for Wind Energy Harvesting

“…Piezoelectric energy harvesters have attracted substantial attention in the last decades. Energy harvesters can generate sustainable power and, hence, are promising as an alternative to batteries, which have a limited life span, while requiring costly maintenance [1,2]. Piezoelectric energy harvesters, therefore, can be an excellent power source for self-powered devices, such as MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) and WSNs (wireless sensor networks).…”