Nonlinear hybrid energy harvesting utilizing a Piezo-magneto-elastic spring

A novel hybrid energy harvester has been proposed which utilizes the presence of nonlinearity and multiple harvesting mechanisms to maximize the power output and the frequency bandwidth. The linear energy harvesters are frequency selective meaning they only generate power if they are excited accurately at their natural frequency. Nonlinear effects can make the harvester more broadband i.e. increase the efficient range of excitations frequency. We incorporate two magnets into the design, to have a nonlinear repulsive force acting on the beam. The piezoelectric patches and the electromagnetic coils convert the mechanical energy of the vibrations of the beam to electrical energy. The proposed energy harvester is therefore a hybrid energy harvester. The method of multiple scales is used to solve the nonlinear energy harvesting system. The electromechanical couplings have been considered in the nonlinear analysis. As a test the special case of linear piezoelectric harvesting has been revisited and the proposed solution precisely matches the exact solution in the literature. The paper concludes by predicting the performance of a fabricated harvester which shows the effectiveness of both nonlinear and hybrid harvesting.

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