Wide-bandwidth, meandering vibration energy harvester with distributed circuit board inertial mass

David F. Berdy, Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University
Byunghoo Jung, Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University
Jeff F. Rhoads, Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University
Dimitrios Peroulis, Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University

Date of this Version

12-2012

Citation

Sensors and Actuators A: Physical Volume 188, December 2012, Pages 148–157

Abstract

A wide-bandwidth, meandering piezoelectric vibration energy harvester is presented for the first time utilizing the sensor node electronics as a distributed inertial mass. The energy harvester achieves an experimental maximum power output of 198 mu W when excited with a peak acceleration of 0.2 g (where 1 g is 9.8 m/s(2)) at 35 Hz. The output power remains higher than half of the maximum power (99 mu W) for the frequency band from 34.4 to 42 Hz, achieving a half-power fractional bandwidth of 19.9%, an increase of 4x compared to typical single-mode energy harvesters. The output power remains above 20 mu W from 29.5 to 48 Hz, achieving a 20-mu W fractional bandwidth of 48%. This is the highest reported fractional bandwidth for this low 0.2 g acceleration level. The distributed inertial mass in combination with the meandering harvester's close natural frequency spacing is what enables the wide bandwidth. The energy harvester is demonstrated to autonomously operate a sensor node to sense and transmit temperature through a 434 MHz on-off-keying wireless transmitter while the electronics are used as the inertial distributed mass. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Discipline(s)

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

 

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