Process of generating power from hard disk vibration in data centers
First Claim
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1. A vibrational energy harvesting apparatus comprising:
- a transducer (102) configured to;
sense vibrational energy generated by a vibrational energy source (101), andconvert the vibrational energy into a transducer signal, wherein the transducer signal indicates an electrical signal generated in proportion to the vibrational energy;
an electronic amplifier (103) configured to;
amplify the transducer signal, wherein the transducer signal amplified is in a form of a distorted square waveform;
an optocoupler (104) configured to;
receive the transducer signal in the form of the distorted square waveform, andreduce distortions from the amplified transducer signal to generate a first electrical signal form; and
a pneumatic controller (105) configured to receive the first electrical signal form, wherein the pneumatic controller (105) has a piston arrangement (109) coupled with an array of piezoelectric sensors (106), wherein the pneumatic controller (105) moves and pushes the piston arrangement (109) by using the first electrical signal form in order to generate a pneumatic stress upon each piezoelectric sensor of the array of piezoelectric sensors (106), and whereineach piezoelectric sensor generates a second electrical signal form in response to the pneumatic stress, wherein the second electrical signal form is a representative of an electrical energy.
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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.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A vibrational energy harvesting apparatus comprising:
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a transducer (102) configured to; sense vibrational energy generated by a vibrational energy source (101), and convert the vibrational energy into a transducer signal, wherein the transducer signal indicates an electrical signal generated in proportion to the vibrational energy; an electronic amplifier (103) configured to; amplify the transducer signal, wherein the transducer signal amplified is in a form of a distorted square waveform; an optocoupler (104) configured to; receive the transducer signal in the form of the distorted square waveform, and reduce distortions from the amplified transducer signal to generate a first electrical signal form; and a pneumatic controller (105) configured to receive the first electrical signal form, wherein the pneumatic controller (105) has a piston arrangement (109) coupled with an array of piezoelectric sensors (106), wherein the pneumatic controller (105) moves and pushes the piston arrangement (109) by using the first electrical signal form in order to generate a pneumatic stress upon each piezoelectric sensor of the array of piezoelectric sensors (106), and wherein each piezoelectric sensor generates a second electrical signal form in response to the pneumatic stress, wherein the second electrical signal form is a representative of an electrical energy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of harvesting energy from a vibrational energy source, the method comprising:
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sensing, by a transducer (102), vibrational energy generated from a vibrational energy source (101); converting, by the transducer (102), the vibrational energy into a transducer signal, wherein the transducer signal generated is proportionate to the vibrational energy; amplifying, by an electronic amplifier (103), the transducer signal, wherein the transducer signal amplified is in a form of distorted square waveform; receiving, by an octocoupler (104), the transducer signal in the form of the distorted square waveform, wherein the octocoupler (104) reduces distortion from the amplified transducer signal to generate a first electrical signal form; and receiving, by a pneumatic controller (105) having a piston arrangement (109) coupled with an array of piezoelectric sensors (106), the first electrical signal form, wherein the pneumatic controller (105) moves and pushes the piston arrangement (109), by using the first electrical signal form, in order to generate pneumatic stress upon each piezoelectric sensor of the array of piezoelectric sensors (106), and wherein each piezoelectric sensor generates a second electrical signal form in response to the pneumatic stress, wherein the second electrical signal form is a representative of an electrical energy. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification