Modeling and nonlinear analysis of stepped beam energy harvesting from galloping vibrations

This paper presents a nonlinear distributed-parameter model for harvesting energy from galloping oscillation. The stepped beam structure is beneficial to increase the stress and strain of the piezoelectric elements, thereby enhancing the power generation. The finite element analysis is used to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the developed harvester. A nonlinear distributed-parameter model for the piezoelectric energy harvester with a stepped beam is developed. The instantaneous fluid force in the transverse direction is analyzed. Based on Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, a distributed-parameter model for undamped free vibration is derived, which can be used for the modal analysis. The electromechanical coupling model is established by using the piezoelectric effect theory. The forced vibration subjected to the galloping excitation load is analyzed by using the mode superposition method. The state vector and the fourth order Runge-Kutta algorithm are used to seek the numerical solution. The effects of the electrical load resistance, length, width and thickness of the piezoelectric beam, exposure area and mass of the bluff body on the output power are investigated. In order to find the optimal design of the energy harvester, optimization design is performed based on the established theoretical model. The particle swarm optimization algorithm is employed to search the optimal solution in multidimensional space. Finally, experimental work was carried out, the electrical output characteristics of the energy harvester prototypes were measured. The simulation results are validated with the experimental data. It is demonstrated that the optimal configuration of the energy harvester can improve the output power from galloping phenomenon effectively. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.