Enhanced low-frequency vibration energy harvesting with inertial amplifiers

Piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters have demonstrated the potential for sustainable energy generation from diverse ambient sources in the context of low-powered micro-scale systems. However, challenges remain concerning harvesting more power from low-frequency input excitations and broadband random excitations. To address this, here we propose a purely mechanical approach by employing inertial amplifiers with cantilever piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters. The proposed mechanism can achieve inertial amplification amounting to orders of magnitude under certain conditions. Harmonic, as well as broadband random excitations, are considered. Two types of harvesting circuits, namely, without and with an inductor, have been employed. We explicitly demonstrate how different parameters describing the inertial amplifiers should be optimally tuned to maximise harvested power under different types of excitations and circuit configurations. It is possible to harvest five times more power at a 50% lower frequency when the ambient excitation is harmonic. Under random broadband ambient excitations, it is possible to harvest 10 times more power with optimally selected parameters.

Automated summary

A mechanical approach utilizing inertial amplifiers with cantilever piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters has been proposed to address challenges in harvesting more power from low-frequency and broadband random excitations. Optimal tuning of different parameters of the inertial amplifiers can significantly increase harvested power, allowing for five times more power to be harvested at a 50% lower frequency under harmonic excitation and ten times more power under random broadband excitation.