Enhancing Electrical Generation Efficiency through Parametrical Excitation and Slapping Force in Nonlinear Elastic...

Area of Science:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Conventional vibration energy harvesting systems (VEHs) often place piezoelectric patches (PZT) at the root of elastic structures.
• Optimizing PZT placement and introducing nonlinearities can potentially improve energy conversion efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance conventional VEHs by repositioning the PZT to the middle of a fixed-fixed elastic steel sheet.
• To augment electrical energy harvesting by introducing a slapping force using a baffle at the point of maximum deflection.
• To analyze the nonlinear dynamics and parametric excitation of the enhanced system.

Main Methods:

• Derivation of the equation of motion for a nonlinear elastic beam using nonlinear beam theory.
• Application of the method of multiple scales (MOMS) to analyze parametric excitation.
• Experimental validation of theoretical findings.

Main Results:

• The second vibration mode offers superior power generation compared to the first mode.
• The enhanced system with a baffle (slapping force) demonstrates significantly higher voltage generation than traditional VEH systems.
• Theoretical analysis and experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed modifications.

Conclusions:

• The repositioned PZT and baffle-enhanced system provide a feasible and efficient approach for vibration energy harvesting.
• The proposed model shows promising potential for widespread application in various industrial sectors requiring efficient energy harvesting.
• Optimizing system nonlinearities and structural configurations is key to maximizing energy conversion in VEHs.