Modeling and design of a piezoelectric nonlinear aeroelastic energy harvester

In the present era, the possibility to generate electrical energy from an operational environment is a critical factor for an aerospace industry to drive microelectronic components. In this research, a solution for the energy harvesting mechanism based on fluid-structure interaction (FSI) is investigated. The possibility to harvest energy from post-critical aeroelastic behavior, known as Limit Cycle Oscillations (LCOs) through piezoelectric transduction is presented. A typical condition for energy harvesting, which requires a strong interaction between the external energy and the components where the harvester is embedded. The LCOs arise after the flutter speed in nonlinear aeroelastic systems, and these oscillations are utilized for harvesting phenomenon. The analytical model is developed for both the FSI and electromechanical behavior of the piezoelectric harvester. In particular, the importance of the aerodynamic model for determining the performance of the harvester is stressed. Two different piezoelectric materials, i.e. Lead zirconate titanate (PZT-5A) and Barium titanate (BaTiO3) is used in the designed harvester. The presented model is suitable to harvest energy and to drive wireless sensors. The maximum power output obtained by the designed piezoelectric aeroelastic energy harvester (PAEH) is found to be 5.5 mW for 0.1 mΩ of resistance.