Wind-Induced Vibration Energy Harvesting Using Piezoelectric Transducers Coupled with Dynamic Magnification
Wind-Induced Vibration Energy Harvesting Using Piezoelectric Transducers Coupled with Dynamic Magnification
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Date
2014
Authors
Baker, Austin
Connolly, Kathryn
Dorsey, Lauren
Grissom, Ian
Grobicki, Alden
Keller, Kevin
Kittur, Chandan
Konecki, Daniel
Lee, Mark
Lee, Timothy
Advisor
Baz, Amr
Citation
DRUM DOI
Abstract
Flexible cylindrical structures subjected to wind loading experience vibrations from
periodic shedding of vortices in their wake. Vibrations become excessive when the natural
frequencies of the cylinder coincide with the vortex shedding frequency. In this study,
cylinder vibrations are transmitted to a beam inside the structure via dynamic magnifier
system. This system amplifies the strain experienced by piezoelectric patches bonded to
the beam to maximize the conversion from vibrational energy into electrical energy. Realworld
applicability is tested using a wind tunnel to create vortex shedding and comparing
the results to finite element modeling that shows the structural vibrational modes. A
crucial part of this study is conditioning and storing the harvested energy, focusing on
theoretical modeling, design parameter optimization, and experimental validation. The
developed system is helpful in designing wind-induced energy harvesters to meet the
necessity for novel energy resources.