An experimentally validated electromagnetic energy harvester

A relatively simple method for determining the electromechanical parameters of electromagnetic energy harvesters are presented in this paper. The optimal power generated through a load resistor at both off-resonance and resonance is derived analytically. The experimentally measured performance of a rudimentary electromechanical energy harvester using a rare-earth magnet shows good agreement with the results from the model. The parasitic generator coil resistance can have a profound effect on the overall performance of an electromagnetic generator by essentially acting to degrade the effective coupling coefficient. Data from the setup electromagnetic generator shows normalized power densities of 1.7 mu W/[(m/s(2))(2) cm(3)] operating at a resonance frequency of 112.25 Hz. This power density is comparable with other electromagnetic devices of the same volume operating at these frequencies. The power output of the presented electromagnetic generator is comparable to equivalent piezoelectric generators. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.