Small-scale wind energy harvesting using piezoelectric converter

Abstract

This paper demonstrates the possibility of harvesting wind energy using piezoelectric material. The energy collected is made possible by a proposed new topology called the Stacked Buck converter. The new topology is derived from a standard buck topology but allows for sourcing from multiple inputs either independently or simultaneously. The purpose of this topology is to take advantage of several sources of energy harvesting using piezoelectric wind harvesting. The general transfer function for the new topology is derived and simulations for various cases to show proof of concept are presented. Results show the potential that the proposed topology offers for harvesting wind energy using piezoelectric. Initial hardware development will also be briefly presented.