Vortex shedding induced energy harvesting from piezoelectric materials in heating, ventilation and air conditioning flows

Abstract

A cantilevered piezoelectric beam is excited in a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) flow. This excitation is amplified by the interactions between (a) an aerodynamic fin attached at the end of the piezoelectric cantilever and (b) the vortex shedding downstream from a bluff body placed in the air flow ahead of the fin/cantilever assembly. The positioning of small weights along the fin enables tuning of the energy harvester to operate at resonance for flow velocities from 2 to 5 m s−1, which are characteristic of HVAC ducts. In a 15 cm diameter air duct, power generation of 200 μW for a flow speed of 2.5 m s−1 and power generation of 3 mW for a flow speed of 5 m s−1 was achieved. These power outputs are sufficient to power a wireless sensor node for HVAC monitoring systems or other sensors for smart building technology.

A Novel Piezoelectric Energy Harvester Using the Macro Fiber Composite Cantilever with a Bicylinder in Water

“…As for the FIV, Shan et al [18] investigated a macro fiber composite piezoelectric energy harvester in the water vortex, and 1.32 μW power was generated at a water velocity of 0.5 m/s. Weinstein et al [19] studied a piezoelectric beam induced by the vortex shedding from an upstream cylinder, and 200 μW and 3 mW of power were respectively generated at air velocities of 3 m/s and 5 m/s. Akaydin et al [20,21] studied a thin polyvinylidene difluoride cantilever beam, and the maximum output power was obtained when the natural frequency of the energy harvester was equal to the vortex shedding frequency.…”

Fluid-structure interaction analysis of rear spoiler vibration for energy harvesting potential

“…However, current wireless systems are mostly battery powered, which requires frequent replacements [3] and may pose environmental hazards when disposed. Therefore, clean, low-cost and labour-free, alternative sources of energy have been the subject of active research in the past decade, especially in order to power wireless devices, such as sensor networks for monitoring various systems [4,5]. Among various concepts, harvesting energy from vibrations has gained much attention (see for example, [4][5][6][7][8]).…”

“…Therefore, clean, low-cost and labour-free, alternative sources of energy have been the subject of active research in the past decade, especially in order to power wireless devices, such as sensor networks for monitoring various systems [4,5]. Among various concepts, harvesting energy from vibrations has gained much attention (see for example, [4][5][6][7][8]). Although attaching additional vibrationinduced energy harvesting components to a car may be feasible, a more elegant solution is by exploiting the use of the available components on the car.…”

Novel Miniature Airflow Energy Harvester for Wireless Sensing Applications in Buildings

“…Another novel airflow energy harvesting device is a flapping piezoelectric generator which flaps like a leaf on the tree [10]- [13]. In order for the device to flap in the airflow, the structure of the device must be very flexible requiring a very flexible piezoelectric material.…”

“…However, no airflow speeds were mentioned. Weinstein et al [13] presented a piezoelectric blow energy harvester based on vortex shedding. Power generated by the harvester is between 100 and 3000 μW for flow speeds in the range of 2 to 5 m s −1 .…”