Design and Simulation of Bistable Piezoceramic Cantilever for Energy Harvesting from Slow Swinging Movement

Abstract

This paper deals with a kinetic energy harvesting device which could harvest electricity from slow swinging movements. This device is based on a bistable design of a piezoelectric cantilever with a tip mass. An additional nonlinear magnetic stiffness is created by magnetic systems for an operation between two stable positions. A slow movement in gravity field could change a potential function of this device and the first stable position is becoming unstable position and this resonator is starting to free oscillate in the second stable position or vice versa. Piezoelectric layers could provide electricity during free oscillating operation in both stable positions. This system could be fixed on a robotic arms, industrial platforms or human body which change a system position in gravity field. For example, a human hand is moved during walking with a slow swing movement and this movement could be used for energy harvesting. This energy harvesting device could generate useful electricity for wearable electronics or biomedical implants. This paper provides mechatronic models which could predict output power during walking.