Broadband energy harvester apparatus and method
First Claim
1. An energy harvesting apparatus, comprising:
- a beam including an electrically responsive material, and attachment structure for enabling the beam to be coupled to an external structure experiencing vibration;
a force biasing member disposed adjacent said beam;
a support structure for engaging each of said beam and said biasing member, and capable of applying compressive force to said beam and said biasing member, to soften said beam and biasing members; and
said beam adapted to flex in response to vibration from said external structure, to generate electrical signals, and said biasing member being adapted to bias said beam to promote flexing movement of said beam in response to vibration.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A broadband vibration energy harvesting apparatus and method. In one embodiment, a straight piezoelectric beam and a straight biasing beam are disposed parallel to one another and axially compressed by a support structure such that both of the beams are slightly bowed. This buckles and reduces the axial stiffness of both of the beams. The piezoelectric beam is secured to an external vibrating structure and supported by the structure. The flexing motion of the piezoelectric beam generates electrical signals that can be used to power a wide variety of devices. The apparatus is especially sensitive to small amplitude vibration signals and is able to harvest vibration energy over a wide range of frequencies, and is not limited to vibrations at discrete resonant frequencies. The apparatus is especially well suited for use in powering remotely located electrical sensors and actuators employed in automotive, aircraft and aerospace applications.
39 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An energy harvesting apparatus, comprising:
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a beam including an electrically responsive material, and attachment structure for enabling the beam to be coupled to an external structure experiencing vibration; a force biasing member disposed adjacent said beam; a support structure for engaging each of said beam and said biasing member, and capable of applying compressive force to said beam and said biasing member, to soften said beam and biasing members; and said beam adapted to flex in response to vibration from said external structure, to generate electrical signals, and said biasing member being adapted to bias said beam to promote flexing movement of said beam in response to vibration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An energy harvesting apparatus, comprising:
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a first beam including; a support substrate piezoelectric material layer secured to said support substrate for generating electrical output signals in response to flexing motion of the first beam; and attachment structure for enabling the first beam to be coupled to an external structure experiencing vibration; a second beam being flexible and disposed generally adjacent said first beam; and a support structure for axially compressing both of said beams to soften said beams, and such that both of said beams assume a bowed shape, said softening of said first beam enabling said first beam to readily flex in response to vibration. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for harvesting vibration energy, comprising:
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disposing a beam having an electrically responsive material adjacent a biasing member, each of said beam and biasing member being compressible; supporting said beam and said biasing member under compression, and such that said compression softens said electrically responsive material of said beam; securing said beam to a vibrating structure such that vibration generated by said vibrating structure causes flexing of said beam, with said electrically responsive material generating electrical signals in response to said vibration; and using said biasing member to promote flexing movement of said beam. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification