A wind-flutter energy converter for powering wireless sensors

This paper describes a low-speed wind energy harvesting system that transfers aerodynamically induced flutter energy into electrical energy. A random airflow generates mechanical vibrations due to the fluid-structure interaction between a flexible belt and the airflow. An electromagnetic resonator with copper coils and a permanent magnet is designed to efficiently harvest electrical energy from the induced mechanical vibrations. Different groups of springs are compared at various wind conditions to maximize the power output. Typically similar to 7 mW of electrical energy can be obtained at similar to 3 m/s wind speed with a 1 m long belt. A power conditioning circuit with a charge pump and a DC-DC converter is used to convert the generated voltage into a stable 3.3 V DC for consumption. It is demonstrated that this generator can be used to drive a commercial wireless temperature sensor. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.