Flutter Energy based Micro-energy harvesters

Motivation
• To reduce dependency on non-renewable energy source (84%), the
area of renewable energy is being explored.
• Out of all renewable, solar and wind energy are the source available
in abundance.
• But drawback of extracting wind energy via turbine is need of high
wind speed available in coastal areas only.
• Hence we turn towards micro-energy harvester at low wind speeds.
 Theory of Piezoelectricity
• Piezoelectric effect: Internal generation of charge resulting from
applied mechanical force on body (which changes dipole density and
orientation).
• Bending of cantilever beam disturbs the charge distribution and
piezoelectric sheet becomes capacitor.
Modeling of Piezoelectric Harvester
• The system consists of an equivalent mass
m, a spring with spring constant k and
dampers. be represents mechanical
damping coefficient and θ represents
electrically induced damping coefficient.
Equations of model
• y(t) is the base displacement due to input vibration and z(t) is the displacement of
the end mass relative to the vibrating base, the equation of motion of the end mass
is given by

• where v is the voltage generated, ζm is the mechanical damping ratio, ωn is the

natural frequency of oscillation.

• Where Θ is the electrically induced damping coefficient and Cp is the capacitance of

single piezoelectric layer.
 Flow Induced Vibrations
• The flow of fluid around structures can cause vibrations in body as
well as motions in fluids.
• In this project we harvest energy from vibrations of structure induced
by a subsonic flow.
• In case of steady flow , we can observe instability based vibrations
flutter.
• Our primary reason for studying fluid motions past a body is to
compute the force and moment that the fluid exerts on body.
 Equilibrium
• If a system in an equilibrium state, returns to equilibrium following a
small disturbance, the state is said to be stable equilibrium.4
• On the other hand, if the system diverges from equilibrium when
slightly disturbed, the state is said to be an unstable equilibrium.
Flutter in airfoil sections
• Airfoil is attached to cantilever beam and angle of attack is varied
• Without any external tip mass or magnet there is only one stable
position.
• In pre-stall regime, the airfoil gets back to its stable position after a
small perturbation is applied.
• As we increase Angle of attack , we enter post-stall regime. Here
disturbance lead to instable oscillations.
• Since we have one stable point, and energy can only be harvested we
are in post-stall regime, We modify setup to make it multistable
mechanism (by adding magnets to tip)
• Snap through: Motion of beam going from one stable state to another
stable state (via an unstable equilibrium point).
• Potential Well: Energy gradient around stability points

• Fluttering phenomenon : Happens when there is pressure difference

across 2 sides of a wing, causing it to move.

• Just like flag flutters in wind. Due to mast there is vortex formation in
wind flow , which causes pressure difference across flag ; thereby
creating ripples in flag motion.
• So while flatness might theoretically represent an equilibrium
position, it'd be unstable equilibrium, and like a ball on the top of a
hill, it doesn't want to stay like that.
Classical linear flutter energy harvester vs
Non Linear dynamic stable flutter energy harvester
• In classical model we made the following assumptions:
1. Restoring force is proportional to displacement. (F=kx).
2. Masses are lumped at center of object.
3. There is only 1 equilibrium position (i.e. at center of motion).

• In Non linear model

1. Restoring force is non-linear in nature (i.e. it depends on
displacement and it’s derivatives).
2.Equivalent mass is taken into account.
3. There are more than 1 equivalent point generated use of magnet
pair.
 Energy generation
(Classical Linear Flutter energy Harvester)
• Flutter speed is high, so energy generation is in the form of impulse.
• As the beam sways in either direction, the PZT material gets
deformed and acts like a capacitive energy source.
• So for that moment it gives impulse voltage signal.
• As the beam comes towards equilibrium position (unstable one) at
center, the voltage output decreases till it becomes zero at center.
• And the goes in negative direction providing us with negative impulse
voltage.
Flutter in airfoil sections
 Energy generation
(Non-linear Dynamic Stable Flutter energy Harvester)
• Here we attach magnet pair to the tip of the wing.
• This creates 2 stable equilibrium point (one at each extreme points),
thereby total of 3 (1 unstable equilibrium at center, and 2 stable
equilibrium points).
• This makes wing to stay a little bit longer at extreme equilibrium
points, which causes increase in width of impulse formed.

• Hence more energy can be extracted in this way.

• It exhibits bistability at low wind speed and tristability at high wind
speed.
 Proposed Experiments
• Experiment 1: To get Voltage profile generated by Linear flutter
energy harvester(LFEH) for wind speed varying for 1-10m/s.
• Experiment 2: To get voltage profile generated by Dynamic stable
flutter energy harvester DFEM (By adding magnet to tip of LFEH)
 Apparatus Needed
• Wind tunnel dimensions: Height 70cm; Width 225m; Depth 46cm
• Rectangular wing attached to PZT cantilever beam.
• Multimeter
• Rectifier circuit
• PZT harvester dimensions = 6.23cm(L)*3.175cm(B)*0.05cm(T)
• Cantilever beam Dimensions: Length = 17m ; Width =5cm;
thickness=2cm
• Wing Dimensions = 25cm (length)*10cm(width)*2cm(thickness)
• 3 Magnet Pairs.
Thank You