Electromagnetic energy harvester with repulsively stacked multilayer magnets for low frequency vibrations

This paper investigates the applicability of an electromagnetic generator with repulsively stacked magnets for harvesting energy from traffic-induced bridge vibrations. First, the governing equation for electro-mechanical coupling is presented. The magnetic field for repulsive pole arrangements is discussed and the model is validated from a magnet falling test. The detailed design, fabrication, and test results of a prototype device are presented in the paper. An experimental vibration shaker test is conducted to assess the performance of the energy harvester. Field test and numerical simulation at the 3rd Nongro Bridge in South Korea shows that the device can generate an average power of 0.12 mW from an input rms acceleration of 0.25 m s−2 at 4.10 Hz. With further frequency tuning and design improvement, an average power of 0.98 mW could be potentially harvested from the ambient vibration of the bridge.