Method and Apparatus for Harvesting Energy from Mechanical Vibrations

• US 20090127976A1
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (Commonwealth Of Australia As Represented By Department Of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research And Tertiary Education)
• Original Assignee: Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (Commonwealth Of Australia As Represented By Department Of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research And Tertiary Education)
• Inventors: Behrens, Sam, Ward, John Kelvin
• Granted Patent: US 7,977,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/319
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/08 recovering energy derived from swinging, rolling, pitching or like movements, e.g. from the vibrations of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 35/00 Generators with reciprocating, oscillating or vibrating coil system, magnet, armature or other part of the magnetic circuit arrangements for handling mechanical energy structurally associated with generators H02K7/00, e.g. H02K7/06
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/181 Circuits; Control arrangements or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 25/034 Voice coil motors voice coil motors driven by DC power H02P7/025

Abstract

A method of harvesting energy from a vibrational energy source having a varying energy characteristic. The method includes the step of varying a characteristic of a harvesting arrangement arranged to harvest the energy, the characteristic of the harvesting arrangement being varied in response to the varying energy characteristic of the vibrational energy source.

Claims

1. A method of harvesting energy from a vibrational energy source having a varying energy characteristic, including the step of varying a characteristic of a harvesting arrangement arranged to harvest the energy, the characteristic of the harvesting arrangement being varied in response to the varying energy characteristic of the vibrational energy source.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, including the further steps of monitoring the varying energy characteristic to obtain a variation parameter, and controlling the varying of the characteristic of the harvesting arrangement, utilising the variation parameter.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein a transducer is utilised to convert the vibrational energy into electrical energy, and wherein the variation parameter is current or voltage.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, including the further steps of monitoring changes in the varying energy characteristic and adaptively controlling the variation of the characteristic of the harvesting arrangement in response to the changes.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the step of adaptively controlling includes a step of predicting changes in the varying energy characteristic and controlling the variation of the characteristic of the harvesting arrangement in response to the predicted changes.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the step of adaptively controlling includes the step of implementing an adaptive learning algorithm.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the harvesting arrangement includes an electrical harvesting circuit and the characteristic of the harvesting arrangement is impedance of the harvesting circuit.

4. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. An apparatus for harvesting energy from a vibrational energy source having a varying energy characteristic, the apparatus including a harvesting arrangement arranged to harvest the energy, the harvesting arrangement having a characteristic which is arranged to be varied in response to the varying energy characteristic of the vibrational energy source.

12. An apparatus in accordance with claim 11, further including a controller arranged to control the harvesting arrangement to vary the characteristic of the harvesting arrangement.

13. An apparatus in accordance with claim 12, further including a monitor for monitoring a magnitude of vibration of the the vibrational energy source over the non-instantaneous time period to derive a variation parameter, the variation parameter being employed by the controller to control the varying characteristic of the harvesting arrangement.

14. An apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein the variation parameter is employed by the controller to control the varying characteristic of the harvesting arrangement.

15. An apparatus in accordance with claim 11, wherein an electrical transducer is utilised to convert the vibrational energy to electrical energy, and wherein the variation parameter is current or voltage from the transducer.

17. An apparatus in accordance with claim 12, the controller being arranged to determine changes in the varying energy characteristic and to adaptively control the variation of the characteristic of the harvesting arrangement in response to the changes.

18. An apparatus in accordance with claim 17, wherein the controller is arranged to predict changes in the varying energy characteristic and control the variation of the characteristic of the harvesting arrangement in response to the predicted changes.

19. An apparatus in accordance with claim 17, wherein the controller is arranged to implement an adaptive learning algorithm to control the harvesting arrangement.

20. An apparatus in accordance with claim 11, wherein the harvesting arrangement includes an electrical harvesting circuit and the characteristic of the harvesting arrangement is impedance of the harvesting circuit.

31. A computer program for controlling a computing device to implement an apparatus in accordance with claim 11.

32. A computer readable medium providing a computer program in accordance with claim 31.

16. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. An apparatus for controlling a harvesting arrangement for harvesting energy from a vibrational energy source, the apparatus including:

a monitor arranged to monitor a varying energy characteristic of the vibrational energy source; and

a controller arranged to vary a characteristic of the harvesting arrangement in response to the varying energy characteristic of the vibrational energy source for a non-instantaneous time period.

24. An apparatus in accordance with claim 23, wherein the controller is arranged to adaptively control the variation of the characteristic of the harvesting arrangement in response to changes in the variable energy characteristic over the non-instantaneous time period.

25. An apparatus in accordance with claim 24, wherein the controller is arranged to predict changes in the variable energy characteristic and control the variation of the characteristic of the harvesting arrangement in response to the predicted changes.

26. An apparatus in accordance with claim 24, wherein the controller is arranged to implement an adaptive learning algorithm to control the harvesting arrangement.

27. A computer program for controlling a computing device to implement an apparatus in accordance with claim 23.

28. A computer readable medium providing a computer program in accordance with claim 27.

29. A method of harvesting energy from an energy source having a varying energy characteristic, including the step of varying the characteristic of the harvesting arrangement arranged to harvest the energy, the characteristic of the harvesting arrangement being varied in response to the varying energy characteristic of the energy source for a non-instantaneous time period.

30. An apparatus for harvesting energy from an energy source having a varying energy characteristic, the apparatus including a harvesting arrangement arranged to harvest the energy, the harvesting arrangement having a characteristic which is arranged to be varied in response to the varying energy characteristic of the energy source for a non-instantaneous time period.