A new energy harvester for fluids in motion

Abstract

A new energy harvester, based on the fluttering phenomenon, is presented. The device is done with a wing connected to a support via two elastomers. When a fluid in motion impinges on this elastic structure, an amount of kinetic energy is transferred to the system, inducing large amplitude oscillations if few mechanical parameters are correctly set. In order to transform the mechanical energy in electrical energy, an electromagnetic coupling is adopted. In this way, it is possible to produce several mW in a wind of 4 m/s with a centimeter-sized device. The device is conceived as an autonomous power source for distributed sensors to be used in Internet of Things.