The influence of magnet configuration on energy harvesting from torsional vibrations of drive systems

This study examines how well a flexible cantilever beam system harvests energy in various potential configurations impacted by rotating magnets. The essence of such a design solution is a time-varying, depending on the rotational velocity of the shaft, potential function. We analyze such a method of excitation in the first part of the work, formulating 4 main models of placement and polarization of magnets. We investigated the influence of geometrical and excitation parameters in a very wide range, including the arrangement of magnets, their number, and polarity, and the possible occurrence of coexisting solutions, chaotic and periodic motion zones, and their impact on energy effectiveness. For this purpose, we used nonlinear dynamics tools such as Poincare sections, bifurcation diagrams, and amplitude-frequency spectrum. Due to the strongly nonlinear nature of the system, the novelty in this work is the optimization of its performance based on the analysis of dynamics in a wide range of excitation and design parameters as well as chaotic and periodic motion zones. These observations provide useful recommendations for the optimization of magnetically influenced rotational energy harvesting system.