Vibration Energy Harvester for Converting Mechanical Vibrational Energy into Electrical Energy

• US 20110115222A1
• Filed: 11/20/2009
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Perpetuum, Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Perpetuum, Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: PARKER, John Stuart, ROBERTS, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 8,680,694 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/7
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/60 Vehicles using regenerative power
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/181 Circuits; Control arrangements or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/186 Vibration harvesters
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 25/034 Voice coil motors voice coil motors driven by DC power H02P7/025
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/00 Arrangements for controlling electric generators for the purpose of obtaining a desired output Ward-Leonard arrangements H02P7/34; vector control H02P21/00; feeding a network by two or more generators H02J; for charging batteries H02J7/14

Abstract

A vibration energy harvester for converting mechanical vibrational energy into electrical energy, the vibration energy harvester comprising a device for generating electrical energy when subjected to mechanical vibration, and a current control circuit electrically connected to the device for providing a substantially constant output current at an electrical output of the vibration energy harvester.

Claims

1. A vibration energy harvester for converting mechanical vibrational energy into electrical energy, the vibration energy harvester comprising a device for generating electrical energy when subjected to mechanical vibration, and a current control circuit electrically connected to the device for providing a substantially constant output current at an electrical output of the vibration energy harvester.

2. A vibration energy harvester according to claim 1 wherein the current control circuit comprises a first controllable variable resistance connected to the electrical output of the vibration energy harvester.

3. A vibration energy harvester according to claim 2 wherein the first controllable variable resistance comprises a MOSFET or a bipolar junction transistor.

4. A vibration energy harvester according to claim 2 wherein the current control circuit is adapted to control the first controllable variable resistance so that an input voltage from the device is maintained at a predetermined voltage.

5. A vibration energy harvester according to claim 4 wherein the current control circuit further comprises a reference voltage generator for generating a preset reference voltage, and an error amplifier for comparing an input voltage from the device with the reference voltage for generating a first control signal for selectively adjusting the first controllable variable resistance when the input voltage is different from the reference voltage.

6. A vibration energy harvester according to claim 5 wherein the current control circuit is adapted to control the output voltage at the electrical output of the vibration energy harvester so that the output voltage does not exceed a predetermined threshold voltage.

7. A vibration energy harvester according to claim 6 wherein the current control circuit further comprises a second controllable variable resistance connected to the electrical output of the vibration energy harvester, the second controllable variable resistance comprising a shunt resistance between a power line and a ground line of the device.

8. A vibration energy harvester according to claim 7 wherein the second controllable variable resistance comprises a MOSFET or a bipolar junction transistor.

9. A vibration energy harvester according to claim 7 wherein the output of the error amplifier is connected to the second controllable variable resistance, the error amplifier thereby generating a second control signal for selectively adjusting the second controllable variable resistance when the input voltage is different from the reference voltage.

10. A vibration energy harvester according to claim 1 wherein the current control circuit is integrated with the device.

11. A vibration energy harvester according to claim 1 wherein the current control circuit is in a module which is removably attached to the device.

12. A method of operating a vibration energy harvester for converting mechanical vibrational energy into electrical energy, the method comprising the steps of:

a. providing on a vibratable support a device for generating electrical energy when subjected to mechanical vibration, and

b. using a current control circuit electrically connected to the device for providing a substantially constant output current at an electrical output of the vibration energy harvester when the device is vibrated.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the current control circuit controls a first controllable variable resistance connected to the electrical output of the vibration energy harvester so that an input voltage from the device is maintained at a predetermined voltage.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the current control circuit compares an input voltage from the device with a reference voltage, and such comparison generates a first control signal for selectively adjusting the first controllable variable resistance when the input voltage is different from the reference voltage.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the current control circuit controls the output voltage at the electrical output of the vibration energy harvester so that the output voltage does not exceed a predetermined threshold voltage.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the current control circuit controls the output voltage at the electrical output of the vibration energy harvester by varying a second controllable variable resistance connected to the electrical output of the vibration energy harvester, the second controllable variable resistance comprising a shunt resistance between a power line and a ground line of the device.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein the current control circuit compares an input voltage from the device with the reference voltage, and such comparison generates a second control signal for selectively adjusting the second controllable variable resistance when the input voltage is different from the reference voltage.

18. A method according to claim 12 further comprising the step of installing the vibration energy harvester during an installation phase, and in the installing step the output current at the electrical output of the vibration energy harvester is measured when the device is vibrated.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein the output current is measured using a multimeter.

20. A vibration energy harvester for converting mechanical vibrational energy into electrical energy, the vibration energy harvester comprising an electromechanical generator for generating electrical energy when subjected to mechanical vibration, and a current control circuit electrically connected to the device for providing a substantially constant output current at an electrical output of the vibration energy harvester, the current control circuit comprising a first controllable variable resistance connected to the electrical output of the vibration energy harvester, the first controllable variable resistance being selected from the group consisting of a MOSFET and a bipolar junction transistor, a reference voltage generator for generating a preset reference voltage, and an error amplifier for comparing an input voltage from the device with the reference voltage for generating a first control signal for selectively adjusting the first controllable variable resistance when the input voltage is different from the reference voltage.