Apparatus And Method For Energy Harvesting

• US 20140361662A1
• Filed: 06/10/2013
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Arab Emirates University (Al Hikma Development Co. PJSC), Khalifa University Of Science, Technology & Research
• Original Assignee: United Arab Emirates University (Al Hikma Development Co. PJSC), Masdar Institute
• Inventors: Al Ahmad, Mahmoud F., Saadat, Irfan
• Granted Patent: US 9,455,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/318
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 11/008 Alleged electric or magnetic perpetua mobilia
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/181 Circuits; Control arrangements or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/188 adapted for resonant operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 74/09 Perpetual motion gimmicks

Abstract

An apparatus for energy conversion, comprising a piezoelectric component comprising a first part configured to convert vibrational energy into electrical energy; and an output for sending a first portion of the generated electrical energy to an electronic device, and a feedback loop for feeding a second portion of the generated electrical energy to a second part of the piezoelectric component, wherein the second part of the piezoelectric component is coupled to the first part of the piezoelectric component and is configured to convert electrical energy into vibrational energy thereby causing the first part of the piezoelectric component to vibrate.

Claims

1. An apparatus for energy conversion, comprising

a piezoelectric component comprising a first part configured to convert vibrational energy into electrical energy;

and

an output for sending a first portion of the generated electrical energy to an electronic device, and

a feedback loop for feeding a second portion of the generated electrical energy to a second part of the piezoelectric component,

wherein the second part of the piezoelectric component is coupled to the first part of the piezoelectric component and is configured to convert electrical energy into vibrational energy thereby causing the first part of the piezoelectric component to vibrate.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first part of the piezoelectric component is configured to provide a AC voltage and the apparatus further comprises an AC-DC converter configured to convert the generated AC voltage to a DC voltage, and to feed a first portion of a generated current to the output and a second portion of the generated current to the feedback loop.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the feedback loop further comprises an oscillator configured to receive the second portion of the generated current from the AC-DC converter, to generate an alternating voltage and to apply the generated alternating voltage to the second part of the piezoelectric component.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the generated current is a direct current and the second portion of the direct current is used by the oscillator.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the oscillator is configured to generate an alternating voltage at an identical frequency to the effective resonant frequency of the piezoelectric component.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surfaces of the first part of the piezoelectric component are interfaced by electrodes for collecting charges from the first part of the piezoelectric component and the surfaces of the second part of the piezoelectric component are interfaced by electrodes for imparting charges into the piezoelectric component.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first part of the piezoelectric component is separated from the second part of the piezoelectric component by an insulating layer.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric component is a multilayer piezoelectric cantilever.

9. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the oscillator is a voltage controlled oscillator.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a frequency down converter for down-converting the frequency of an output of the oscillator so that it matches the effective resonant frequency of the piezoelectric component.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an energy storage unit for temporarily storing at least a portion of the electrical energy generated by the piezoelectric component before providing the portion of the electrical energy to the electronic device.

12. A system comprising the apparatus of claim 1 and an electronic device powered by the apparatus, wherein the electronic device is one of the following:

a sensor, a transmitter, a receiver, a light, a speaker or an electric circuit.

13. A method for energy conversion comprising:

converting vibrational energy using a first part of a piezoelectric component into electrical energy,

outputting a first portion of the generated electrical energy to an electronic device,

feeding a second portion of the generated electrical energy towards a second part of the piezoelectric component via a feedback loop, and

converting, by the second part of the piezoelectric component, electrical energy into vibrational energy thereby causing the first part of the piezoelectric component coupled to the second part of the piezoelectric component to vibrate.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising converting an alternating voltage generated by the first part of the piezoelectric component by an AC-DC converter into a DC voltage, before diverting a first portion of a generated current to the output and a second portion of the generated current to the feedback loop.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising using an oscillator to in the feedback loop to generate an alternating voltage.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the generated current is a direct current and wherein the method further comprises the oscillator using the second portion of the generated current.

17. A method according to claim 15, further comprising configuring the oscillator to generate an alternating voltage at an identical frequency to the effective resonant frequency of the piezoelectric component.

18. A method according to claim 13, further comprising collecting charges from the first part of the piezoelectric component on electrodes interfaced onto the surfaces of the piezoelectric component, and using electrodes to interface the surfaces of the second part of the piezoelectric component.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein using an insulating layer to separate the first part of the piezoelectric component from the second part of the piezoelectric component.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising powering an electronic device using the first portion of the generated electricity, wherein the electronic device is one of the following:

a sensor, a transmitter, a receiver, a light, a speaker or an electric circuit.