An electromagnetic/magnetoelectric transducer based on nonlinear RMSHI circuit for energy harvesting and sensing

Random mechanical switching harvester on inductor (RMSHI) circuits for voltage rectification present a promising approach to enable the use of low output voltages from electromagnetic transducers under weak vibration conditions. In this paper, an electromagnetic transducer, which is suitable for noisy environments and realizes a high energy income even under a boradband excitation is presented. The proof-of concept system is realized and functionally tested. Further, in order to characterize the behavior of the mechanical bistable switch relative to the applied vibration, a passive solution is proposed. It consists of the use of two magnetoelectric (ME) transducers added to the bistable structure. The proposed solution is investigated with different random vibration profiles and vibration frequency bandwidths. Results have shown that the performance of the electromagnetic transducer due to the bistable RMSHI solution and in presence of random kinetic sources, is significantly improved. Further, the mechanical power is passively evaluated relative to the output of the two ME transducers based on the commutation of the cantilever between the two ME transducers. The achieved results have a high potential for the development of an integrated energy harvesting solution from weak and random kinetic sources with sensing capabilities.

Automated summary

The research proposes a method of using RMSHI circuits for voltage rectification, which effectively utilizes low output voltages from electromagnetic transducers under weak vibration conditions. Through experimental verification, the electromagnetic transducer tested in a noisy environment showed high energy income capability. Additionally, by adding magnetoelectric transducers to the bistable structure, the performance of the electromagnetic transducer under random vibration conditions was significantly improved.