PROCESS OF GENERATING POWER FROM HARD DISK VIBRATION IN DATA CENTERS

• US 20130069486A1
• Filed: 09/19/2011
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TATA Consultancy Services Limited (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TATA Consultancy Services Limited (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Inventors: VIJAYAKUMAR, Senthilkumar
• Granted Patent: US 8,922,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/339
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/186 Vibration harvesters

Abstract

The present invention relates to an energy harvesting apparatus capable of converting small magnitude low frequency vibrational energy into useful electrical energy that may be stored and used to power microelectronic devices and rechargeable battery technologies. The energy harvesting apparatus utilizes a piezoelectric device coupled to a pneumatic controller for modulating the vibrational energy received from vibrational energy source into a useful alternating energy waveform. A rectifier is further coupled to the piezoelectric device for converting alternating electrical energy to direct current energy for supporting associated external circuitry.

Claims

1. ) A vibrational energy harvesting apparatus comprising of:

a three dimensional vibrational energy source capable of generating varying energy characteristics;

a vibration sensing device configured to sense the vibrations in response to varying energy characteristics of the vibrational energy source;

an electronic amplifier coupled to an Optocoupler for modulating the varying energy characteristics to a first signal form of an amplified magnitude; and

a modulating means in communication with a cascade amplifier for modulating the first signal form to an amplified second signal form, whereby the modulating means further comprises;

an pneumatic controller for converting the first signal form to proportional pneumatic stress; and

at least one piezoelectric sensor secured to the said pneumatic controller for generating the said second signal form in response to mechanical stress.

2. ) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vibrational energy source includes a physical disk drive generating vibrations of energy and wherein the varying energy characteristic is voltage varying in the range of 70-95 mV.

3. ) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vibration sensing device includes an electrical transducer to convert varying vibrational energy to electrical energy of magnitude varying in the range of 70-95 mV.

4. ) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an electronic amplifier is responsible for amplifying the output from vibration sensing device to the magnitude of 2-3V.

5. ) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an electronic amplifier is integrated with an optocoupler for varying the energy characteristics from a highly distorted square waveform to a slightly distorted square waveform of amplified magnitude in order to achieve the first signal form.

6. ) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first signal form is a slightly distorted square waveform of magnitude varying in the range of 2-3V, and wherein the slightly distorted square waveform comprises of low frequency spikes at its output.

7. ) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the modulating means engages a cascade amplifier for converting the first signal form to an amplified second signal form of magnitude varying in the range of 3-5V.

8. ) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the modulating means comprises of an pneumatic controller and at least one piezoelectric sensor, and wherein the piezoelectric sensor optionally comprises of an array of sensors, each sensor capable of generating 3-5V.

9. ) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the modulating means is further integrated with a diode bridge rectifier and a capacitor to convert and utilize the generated second signal form to DC voltage output to support the electrical functioning of an externally associated circuitry.

10. ) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pneumatic controller utilizes the first signal form to provide a pneumatic output of up to 75-100 psi for impacting piezoelectric sensor.

11. ) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the piston diameter of pneumatic controller is chosen in the range of 0.375 inches to 1.5 inches.

12. ) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric sensor generates a second signal form in response to the pneumatic stress, the said second signal form is a smoothened square waveform of amplitude 3-5V.

13. ) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric sensor is formed of piezoelectric element selected from the group comprising of piezoelectric ceramics, piezoelectric single crystals, piezoelectric polymers, piezoelectric composites and the like.

14. ) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric sensor comprises of plurality of sensors to output DC voltage terminals that are connected in series or parallel or series parallel in order to support the electrical functioning of an externally associated circuitry.

15. ) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the DC output voltage from the modulating means is accumulated across a capacitor to store said harvested electrical energy.

16. ) A method of harvesting energy from a vibrational energy source of varying voltage, the method comprising:

Detecting three dimensional varying vibrational energy characteristics generated from a vibrational energy source by a vibration sensing device;

Communicating the varying vibrational energy to an electronic amplifier coupled to an Optocoupler for modulating the varying energy characteristics to a first signal form of an amplified magnitude; and

Transforming the first signal form into an amplified second signal form by modulating means for subsequent use in an external circuitry, wherein the transformation includes;

receiving and converting the first signal form to a proportional pneumatic stress by a pneumatic controller and utilizing the generated stress to deform at least one piezoelectric sensor for generating the second signal form.

17. ) A method of claim 16, wherein the varying energy characteristic detected by the sensing device is a voltage varying in the range of 70-90 mV.

18. ) A method of claim 16, wherein the varying vibrational energy communicated to the optocoupler is modulated from a highly distorted square waveform to a slightly distorted square waveform of amplified magnitude in order to achieve the first signal form.

19. ) A method of claim 16, wherein the optocoupler is integrated with an electronic amplifier to amplify the first signal form to 2-3 V.

20. ) A method of claim 16, wherein the first signal form is converted to a proportional pneumatic stress of the magnitude 75-100 psi by the pneumatic controller for impacting the piezoelectric sensor.

21. ) A method of claim 16, wherein the pneumatic stress generated by the pneumatic controller is impacted upon the piezoelectric sensor to cause deformation and generation of a second signal form comprising of smoothened square waveform of magnitude varying from 3-5V.

22. ) A method of claim 16, wherein the piezoelectric sensor optionally comprises of array of sensors, wherein each sensor is capable of generating second signal form of magnitude varying from 3-5V.

23. ) A method of claim 16, wherein the transformation of a first signal form to an amplified second signal form, varying in the range of 3-5V, is achieved by modulating means in communication with a cascade amplifier.

24. ) A method of claim 16, wherein the second signal form is converted to DC voltage output for utilization by an externally associated circuitry by means of modulating means integrated with a bridge rectifier and a capacitor.