Next Generation of Efficient and Responsive Vibration Energy Harvesters

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Energy harvesting from ambient mechanical vibration has been an active area of research over the past decade. In addition to its eco-friendliness and cost benefits, using ambient vibration for generating electricity is extremely promising in addressing the limitations of batteries and has opened up the opportunity to incorporate low to medium-power electronics and wireless sensors, especially in inaccessible, risky, and challenging environments. Mono-stable vibration energy harvesters (VEH) are simple, but except at their resonance, are not efficient and practical for typical broadband ambient vibrations. On the other hand, despite overcoming the bandwidth shortcoming, nonlinear VEHs have several technical gaps and challenges for their widespread application. Relying on our background in vibration analysis and other complementary areas such as nonlinear dynamics and mechatronic systems design and optimization, this NSERC Discovery Grant (DG) aims to establish a world-class research program that encompasses various critical topics in the VEH area to build a platform for developing the next generation of harvesters that are highly responsive to ambient vibration conditions and meet the power requirement of various real-world applications. To achieve that, we will explore different methods, including innovative nonlinear structural configurations, novel multi-generator architectures, vibration/frequency amplification techniques, and optimal system parameters tuning. In the nonlinear approaches, we will expand on several strategies, including multi-stability and parametric resonance, which have shown promising results in enhancing the bandwidth and responsiveness of vibratory systems. To ensure the effectiveness of those strategies for real-life applications, we will create innovative mechanisms capable of exhibiting nonlinear characteristics even at lower excitation amplitudes. Special attention will also be given to developing techniques such as multi-axes VEHs to maximize capturing vibrations from various directions. Frequency-up conversion is another technique that will be explored to get around the output power inefficiencies from low-frequency sources. Practical mechanisms will also be designed to amplify and optimally distribute mechanical stress on the harvester to enhance the output power and life of VEHs. This research will take advantage of the recent advancements in several areas in Mechatronic Systems, including mathematical modeling, design, simulation, optimization, intelligent control, smart materials, and embedded programming. The HQP will also gain valuable hands-on experience and expertise in applying engineering concepts in real-life applications. High impact publications and intellectual properties are other expected outcomes. Finally, the achievements of this DG will accelerate the creation of standalone self-powered electronic devices in various tech sectors such as gaming, UAVs, health monitoring systems, etc.