Metamaterial-Enhanced Electroelastoacoustic Energy Harvesting for Sensor Systems

该奖项的研究目标是研究和利用电弹声耦合线性和非线性超材料启发的能量收集概念，用于自供电传感器系统。这个计算和实验研究项目的技术方法结合了超材料启发结构和压电能量收集，从结构传播波中提取低功率电力。波聚焦和漏斗，二极管机制，频率带隙和能量局域化是一些独特的超材料性质，将探索提高线性和非线性压电能量收集的效率。该研究计划将通过建立集总参数和分布参数建模框架来实现其目标，该框架将超材料的弹声动力学和传播波与压电能量收集的电弹性动力学相结合，然后进行特定配置的实验测试以验证性能增强。如果成功，这项研究的结果将为传感器网络环境中传播的弹性声波产生低功率发电的潜在系统级应用提供计算工具和实验概念。启用自供电传感器节点的经济和社会效益包括降低无线监测应用中传统电池的维护成本和化学浪费。这类能量采集器的多功能特性导致在产生可用电力的同时吸收波浪能（否则会产生不希望的噪音/振动）。除了为共振和宽带能量收集构建前所未有的平台外，所考虑的超材料类别的工作频率范围可以与基于微机电系统的能量收集高度兼容。这项研究的结果将通过会议报告、学术出版物和学术课程传播。与佐治亚理工学院的佐治亚实习教师奖学金项目合作开发的教育实验室活动和课堂模块，将使未被充分代表的高中生接触到研究的基本结果，以及潜在的波动力学和电弹性声学原理。

The research objective of this award is to investigate and leverage electroelastoacoustically coupled linear and nonlinear metamaterial-inspired energy harvesting concepts for self-powered sensor systems. The technical approach of this computational and experimental research program combines metamaterial-inspired structures and piezoelectric energy harvesting to extract low-power electricity from structure-borne propagating waves. Wave focusing and funneling, diode mechanisms, frequency bandgaps, and energy localization are some of the unique metamaterial properties that will be explored for improving the efficiency of linear and nonlinear piezoelectric energy harvesting. The research program will achieve its objectives by establishing lumped- and distributed-parameter modeling frameworks coupling the elastoacoustic dynamics of metamaterials and propagating waves with the electroelastic dynamics of piezoelectric energy harvesting, followed by experimental testing of specific configurations to validate performance enhancement. If successful, the results of this research will yield computational tools and experimental concepts for the potential system-level applications of low-power electricity generation from elastoacoustic waves propagating in the environment of sensor networks. The economic and societal benefits of enabling self-powered sensor nodes include reduction of maintenance costs and chemical waste of conventional batteries in wireless monitoring applications. The multifunctional nature of this class of energy harvesters results in the absorption of wave energy (which would otherwise create undesired noise/vibration) while generating usable electricity. In addition to constituting unprecedented platforms for both resonant and broadband energy harvesting, the frequency range of operation of the considered class of metamaterials can be highly compatible with microelectromechanical system-based energy harvesting. Results from this research will be disseminated through conference presentations, scholarly publications, and academic courses. Educational laboratory activities and classroom modules, developed in partnership with the Georgia Intern Fellowships for Teachers program at Georgia Tech, will expose underrepresented high school students to basic results of the research and to underlying wave mechanics and electroelastoacoustic principles.