Energy harvester

• US 8,987,973 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mimos Berhad (Ministry of Finance Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mimos Berhad (Ministry of Finance Incorporated)
• Inventors: Othman, Masuri, Bhuyan, Mohammad Shaharia, Tamsir, Agus Santoso, Sulaiman, Suraya, Mukter-Uz-Zaman, A. S. M.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOUGHERTY, THOMAS M
• Application Number:
  US13/119,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20130057111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,021 Days
• Field of Search: 310/339
• US Class Current: 310/339
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/186 Vibration harvesters

Abstract

An energy harvester comprising a base; one or more first resilient means mounted on the base; a hollow chamber having a mounting point pivotally attached to the first resilient means; a hollow member enclosed within the hollow chamber being attached to one or more second resilient means extending from the mounting point in static equilibrium such that the center of mass of the hollow member is aligned with the second resilient means at a vertical axis; a plurality of piezoelectric material-built cantilevers mounted on the hollow member; an integrated circuit connecting the hollow chamber, hollow member, and piezoelectric material-built cantilevers with at least one of a primary storage and a device, wherein the energy is harvested through vibration of the plurality of piezoelectric material-built cantilevers at its approximately resonant frequency, reciprocation of the hollow chamber and the hollow member upon application of a force.

Claims

1. An energy harvester comprising:

a base;

one or more first resilient means mounted on the base;

a hollow chamber having a mounting point pivotally attached to the first resilient means in static equilibrium in such a way that center of mass of the hollow chamber is aligned with the first resilient means at vertical axis;

a hollow member enclosed within the hollow chamber being attached to one or more second resilient means extending from the mounting point in static equilibrium that center of mass of the hollow member is aligned with the second resilient means at the vertical axis;

a plurality of piezoelectric material-built cantilevers mounted on the hollow member and spaced apart from one another in a predetermined gap at the vertical plane that the piezoelectric material-built cantilevers are varied in length and/or center of mass;

an integrated circuit connected to at least one of the hollow chamber, the hollow member, and the plurality of piezoelectric material-built cantilevers, and at least one of a primary storage and a device, wherein the integrated circuit directs harvested energy from at least one of the hollow chamber, the hollow member, and the plurality of piezoelectric material-built cantilevers to at least one of the primary storage and the device; and

wherein the energy is harvested through vibration of the plurality of piezoelectric material-built cantilevers, reciprocation of the hollow chamber and the hollow member upon application of a force.

2. An energy harvester according to claim 1, wherein the hollow chamber is made of transparent material.

3. An energy harvester according to claim 1, further comprising photovoltaic cells attached onto surfaces of the hollow chamber to harvest solar energy, wherein the photovoltaic cells are connected to the integrated circuit to direct the harvested energy to at least one of the primary storage and the device.

4. An energy harvester according to claim 1, further comprising a means for harvesting thermal energy, wherein the means for harvesting thermal energy is connected to the integrated circuit to direct the harvested energy to at least one of the primary storage and the device.

5. An energy harvester according to claim 4, wherein the means of harvesting thermal energy is one or more elongated members formed by directly contacting two different electric conducting materials and subjecting the two different electric conducting materials to different temperatures.

6. An energy harvester according to claim 1, further comprising a radio frequency harvesting means attached onto the hollow chamber for harvesting radio frequency energy, wherein the radio frequency harvesting means attached onto the hollow chamber is connected to the integrated circuit to direct the harvested energy to at least one of the primary storage and the device.

7. An energy harvester according to claim 1, further comprising a radio frequency harvesting means fabricated onto a surface of the hollow member for harvesting radio frequency energy, wherein the radio frequency harvesting means fabricated onto a surface of the hollow member is connected to the integrated circuit to direct harvested energy to at least one of the primary storage and the device.

8. An energy harvester according to claim 1, wherein tips of the plurality of piezoelectric material-built cantilevers possess proof masses.

9. An energy harvester according to claim 1, wherein the primary storage is integrated with the base.

10. An energy harvester according to claim 1, wherein the primary storage comprises a capacitor and/or super capacitor.

11. An energy harvester according to claim 1, further comprising a secondary storage to receive harvested energy from the primary storage and store harvested energy.