Energy harvesters with wide frequency range, long lifetime, and high output power are preferred to serve as power supplies for wireless devices. Motivated to guide the design of a robust energy harvesting platform, an analytical model based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory for a laminated beam is first presented to predict the nonlinear response of the system when subjected to harmonic base acceleration and tunable magnetic forces. Following experimental validation, a multi-objective optimization based on a genetic algorithm considers how to improve the frequency range of high performance, decrease peak strain level, and maximize output power by manipulating the design of the nonlinear energy harvester. The optimization results indicate that a slightly monostable configuration is superior when taking all three aspects into consideration.

Date Published: 21 March 2019
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 10967, Active and Passive Smart Structures and Integrated Systems XIII, 109670M (21 March 2019); doi: 10.1117/12.2514041

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 10967:
Active and Passive Smart Structures and Integrated Systems XIII
Alper Erturk, Editor(s)