The Design and Experiment of a Spring-Coupling Electromagnetic Galloping Energy Harvester

Abstract

In order to improve the output characteristics of the electromagnetic energy harvester in a high-speed flow field, a spring-coupling electromagnetic energy harvester (SEGEH) is proposed, based on the galloping characteristics of a large amplitude. The electromechanical model of the SEGEH was established, the test prototype was made, and the experiments were conducted using a wind tunnel platform. The coupling spring can convert the vibration energy consumed by the vibration stroke of the bluff body without inducing an electromotive force into the elastic energy of the spring. This not only reduces the galloping amplitude, but it also provides elastic force for the return of the bluff body, and it improves the duty cycle of the induced electromotive force and the output power of the energy harvester. The stiffness of the coupling spring and the initial distance between the coupling spring and the bluff body will affect the output characteristics of the SEGEH. At a wind speed of 14 m/s, the output voltage was 103.2 mV and the output power was 0.79 mW. Compared with the energy harvester without a coupling spring (EGEH), the output voltage increases by 29.4 mV, with an increase of 39.8%. The output power was increased by 0.38 mW, with an increase of 92.7%.