Experimental Usage of Humanoid Robot for Energy Harvesting Study From Walking Motion

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youngsu Cha ◽  
Seokmin Hong
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Humanoid Robot ◽  
Average Power ◽  
Piezoelectric Composite ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Knee Motion ◽  
Energy Harvesters ◽  
Walking Motion ◽  
Theoretical Predictions ◽  
Energy Transducer

Human motions are good energy sources for energy harvesters to support wearable devices. Among them, walking motions have received considerable attention as energy sources due to their large kinetic energy. Most of the studies about energy harvesting from human walking have been tested in real human wearing energy harvesters. In this paper, we use a humanoid robot to study energy harvesting from walking motion. We quantitatively analyze the energy harvesting from walking through the repeatable motion of the humanoid robot. A knee pad is attached on the leg of the humanoid robot. We make a pocket on the knee pad and put a piezoelectric composite as an energy transducer into the pocket. We refer to a trajectory of knee angle during one walking cycle of human from literature. The knee motion is formulated by performing Fourier series fitting for programming the movement of the humanoid robot. Additionally, an electromechanical model is used to explain the electrical responses from the piezoelectric composite in the pocket during the motion of the humanoid robot. We estimate average power transferred from the piezoelectric composite to the load resistances during the knee motion by using the model and validate the theoretical predictions by comparing with experimental results.

scholarly journals Market opportunities for small energy harvesters

2019 ◽  
Vol 113 ◽  
pp. 03010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Cuneo ◽  
Stefano Barberis ◽  
Alberto Traverso ◽  
Paolo Silvestri
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Small Energy ◽  
Pressure Drops ◽  
Energy Harvesters ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Harvesting Systems ◽  
Market Opportunities

There are several small energy sources that can be exploited to provide useful energy: small temperature differences, mechanical vibrations, flow variations, latent exhausts are just some examples. The recovery of such common and small energy sources, usually wasted, for example with the conversion into useful amounts of electrical energy, is called energy harvesting. Energy harvesting allows low-power embedded devices to be powered from naturally-occurring or unwanted environmental energy (e.g. pressure or temperature difference). The main aim in the last years of researches in such field, was the increasing of the efficiency of such components, with a higher power output and a smaller size. At present, a wide range of systems incorporating energy harvesters are now available commercially, all of them specific to certain types of energy source. Energy harvesting from dissipation processes such as fluid lamination is a challenge for many different applications. In addition, control valves to dissipate overpressures are common usage of many plants and systems. This paper surveys the market opportunities of such harvesting systems, considering the trade-offs affecting their efficiency, their applicability, and ease of deployment. Particular attention will be devoted to small energy harvesters than can exploit small expansions, such as from lamination valves or to systems that can feed mini sensors from small pressure drops, promising compactness, efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Topological optimization of variable area plate capacitors for coupled electromechanical energy harvesters

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (15) ◽  
pp. 2198-2211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dane Sequeira ◽  
Kip Coonley ◽  
Brian Mann
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Equations Of Motion ◽  
Average Power ◽  
Electrical Circuit ◽  
Topological Optimization ◽  
Electrostatic Energy ◽  
Capacitor Plate ◽  
Energy Harvesters ◽  
Plate Rotation ◽  
Electromechanical Energy

This article examines how topological optimization can be applied to identify nonintuitive capacitor plate patterning that maximizes average power dissipated through an electrical circuit during energy harvesting. Coupled electromechanical equations of motion are derived that include both the instantaneous and change in overlapping conductive area as functions of plate rotation. A genetic algorithm is used to optimize these terms and then map them to physical plate configurations. The results obtained apply specifically to the case presented; however, the methods are general and can be used to solve a broad range of electrostatic energy harvesting problems.

Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensor Systems in Aircraft

2009 ◽  
Vol 413-414 ◽  
pp. 487-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.A. Featherston ◽  
Karen M. Holford ◽  
Greg Waring
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Average Power ◽  
Thermoelectric Module ◽  
Sensor Nodes ◽  
Wireless Sensor ◽  
Thermoelectric Energy ◽  
Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting ◽  
Theoretical Predictions ◽  
Power Outputs

The use of structural health monitoring in the aerospace industry has many benefits including improved safety, reduced maintenance and extended aircraft lifecycles. A major focus of current research in this area is the development of wireless sensor 'nodes‘ which rely on batteries as a power source, severely limiting the product lifespan. This paper presents the results of work carried out to examine the feasibility of replacing or supplementing existing battery power supplies using thermoelectric energy conversion from ambient temperature differences in aircraft. An average power demand of 1mW over a typical sensor duty cycle is identified for current wireless sensor hardware. Temperature differentials between the wing fuel tanks and external air are determined and a theoretical model for thermoelectric energy harvesting potential is developed. Results indicate that average power outputs sufficient for the intended application of 6.6-22mW could be achieved during flight, based on a commercially available thermoelectric module of 30×30×4.1mm. An experimental investigation of the performance of this module when subjected to appropriate temperature conditions, using a Ranque-Hilshe vortex tube to generate easily controlled temperatures to -25°C is described. Excellent consistency is demonstrated between theoretical predictions and experimental results, confirming the accuracy of the theoretical model.

scholarly journals Enhanced Power Extraction with Sediment Microbial Fuel Cells by Anode Alternation

Fuels ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-178
Author(s):  
Marzia Quaglio ◽  
Daniyal Ahmed ◽  
Giulia Massaglia ◽  
Adriano Sacco ◽  
Valentina Margaria ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Power Density ◽  
Microbial Fuel Cells ◽  
Average Power ◽  
Power Extraction ◽  
Harvesting Technique ◽  
Harvesting Method ◽  
Energy Harvesting Devices ◽  
Efficient Power

Sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) are energy harvesting devices where the anode is buried inside marine sediment, while the cathode stays in an aerobic environment on the surface of the water. To apply this SCMFC as a power source, it is crucial to have an efficient power management system, leading to development of an effective energy harvesting technique suitable for such biological devices. In this work, we demonstrate an effective method to improve power extraction with SMFCs based on anodes alternation. We have altered the setup of a traditional SMFC to include two anodes working with the same cathode. This setup is compared with a traditional setup (control) and a setup that undergoes intermittent energy harvesting, establishing the improvement of energy collection using the anodes alternation technique. Control SMFC produced an average power density of 6.3 mW/m2 and SMFC operating intermittently produced 8.1 mW/m2. On the other hand, SMFC operating using the anodes alternation technique produced an average power density of 23.5 mW/m2. These results indicate the utility of the proposed anodes alternation method over both the control and intermittent energy harvesting techniques. The Anode Alternation can also be viewed as an advancement of the intermittent energy harvesting method.

Multimodal pizza-shaped piezoelectric vibration-based energy harvesters

2021 ◽  
pp. 1045389X2110069
Author(s):  
Virgilio J Caetano ◽  
Marcelo A Savi
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Frequency Spectrum ◽  
Optimization Procedure ◽  
Single Mode ◽  
Ambient Vibration ◽  
Vibration Source ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Energy Harvesters ◽  
Piezoelectric Energy ◽  
Harvesting Systems

Energy harvesting from ambient vibration through piezoelectric devices has received a lot of attention in recent years from both academia and industry. One of the main challenges is to develop devices capable of adapting to diverse sources of environmental excitation, being able to efficiently operate over a broadband frequency spectrum. This work proposes a novel multimodal design of a piezoelectric energy harvesting system to harness energy from a wideband ambient vibration source. Circular-shaped and pizza-shaped designs are employed as candidates for the device, comparing their performance with classical beam-shaped devices. Finite element analysis is employed to model system dynamics using ANSYS Workbench. An optimization procedure is applied to the system aiming to seek a configuration that can extract energy from a broader frequency spectrum and maximize its output power. A comparative analysis with conventional energy harvesting systems is performed. Numerical simulations are carried out to investigate the harvester performances under harmonic and random excitations. Results show that the proposed multimodal harvester has potential to harness energy from broadband ambient vibration sources presenting performance advantages in comparison to conventional single-mode energy harvesters.

Enhanced frequency synchronization for concurrent aeroelastic and base vibratory energy harvesting using a softening nonlinear galloping energy harvester

2021 ◽  
pp. 1045389X2110263
Author(s):  
Shun Chen ◽  
David Eager ◽  
Liya Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Electromechanical Coupling ◽  
Energy Harvester ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Effective Bandwidth ◽  
Frequency Synchronization ◽  
Periodic Oscillations ◽  
Energy Harvesters ◽  
Paper Form ◽  
Excited Oscillation

This paper proposes a softening nonlinear aeroelastic galloping energy harvester for enhanced energy harvesting from concurrent wind flow and base vibration. Traditional linear aeroelastic energy harvesters have poor performance with quasi-periodic oscillations when the base vibration frequency deviates from the aeroelastic frequency. The softening nonlinearity in the proposed harvester alters the self-excited galloping frequency and simultaneously extends the large-amplitude base-excited oscillation to a wider frequency range, achieving frequency synchronization over a remarkably broadened bandwidth with periodic oscillations for efficient energy conversion from dual sources. A fully coupled aero-electro-mechanical model is built and validated with measurements on a devised prototype. At a wind speed of 5.5 m/s and base acceleration of 0.1 g, the proposed harvester improves the performance by widening the effective bandwidth by 300% compared to the linear counterpart without sacrificing the voltage level. The influences of nonlinearity configuration, excitation magnitude, and electromechanical coupling strength on the mechanical and electrical behavior are examined. The results of this paper form a baseline for future efficiency enhancement of energy harvesting from concurrent wind and base vibration utilizing monostable stiffness nonlinearities.

Reliability-Based Design Optimization for Nonlinear Energy Harvesters

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumin Seong ◽  
Christopher Mullen ◽  
Soobum Lee
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Design Optimization ◽  
Reliability Based Design Optimization ◽  
Vibration Energy Harvester ◽  
Reliability Design ◽  
Energy Harvesters ◽  
Reliability Based Design ◽  
Stable Characteristic ◽  
Tip Mass ◽  
Nonlinear Energy

This paper presents reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) and experimental validation of the purely mechanical nonlinear vibration energy harvester we recently proposed. A bi-stable characteristic was embodied with a pre-stressed curved cantilever substrate on which piezoelectric patches were laminated. The curved cantilever can be simply manufactured by clamping multiple beams with different lengths or by connecting two ends of the cantilever using a coil spring. When vibrating, the inertia of the tip mass activates the curved cantilever to cause snap-through buckling and makes the nature of vibration switch between two equilibrium positions. The reliability-based design optimization study for maximization of power density and broadband energy harvesting performance is performed. The benefit of the proposed design in terms of excellent reliability, design compactness, and ease of implementation is discussed. The prototype is fabricated based on the optimal design result and energy harvesting performance between the linear and nonlinear energy harvesters is compared. The excellent broadband characteristic of the purely mechanical harvester will be validated.

Geometric and Material Optimization of Vortex-Induced Vibration Micro Energy Harvesters for Localized Wind Environments

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse J. French ◽  
Colton T. Sheets
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Power Output ◽  
Fluid Velocity ◽  
Frequency Variation ◽  
Vortex Induced Vibration ◽  
Energy Harvesters ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Material Optimization ◽  
Piezoelectric Energy ◽  
Wind Velocities

Wind energy capture in today’s environment is often focused on producing large amounts of power through massive turbines operating at high wind speeds. The device presented by the authors performs on the extreme opposite scale of these large wind turbines. Utilizing vortex induced vibration combined with developed and demonstrated piezoelectric energy harvesting techniques, the device produces power consistent with peer technologies in the rapidly growing field of micro-energy harvesting. Vortex-induced vibrations in the Karman vortex street are the catalyst for energy production of the device. To optimize power output, resonant frequency of the harvester is matched to vortex shedding frequency at a given wind speed, producing a lock-on effect that results in the greatest amplitude of oscillation. The frequency of oscillation is varied by altering the effective spring constant of the device, thereby allowing for “tuning” of the device to specific wind environments. While localized wind conditions are never able to be predicted with absolute certainty, patterns can be established through thorough data collection. Sampling of local wind conditions led to the design and testing of harvesters operating within a range of wind velocities between approximately 4 mph and 25 mph. For the extremities of this range, devices were constructed with resonant frequencies of approximately 17 and 163 Hz. Frequency variation was achieved through altering the material composition and geometry of the energy harvester. Experimentation was performed on harvesters to determine power output at optimized fluid velocity, as well as above and below. Analysis was also conducted on shedding characteristics of the device over the tested range of wind velocities. Computational modeling of the device is performed and compared to experimentally produced data.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document