Small electronic devices like wireless sensors, transmitters and monitoring units have been improved in recent years to require less energy to run, which allows the possibility of pairing them with ambient energy harvesters to make them self-sufficient for extended periods. Energy harvesting can replace the use of batteries for small electronic devices for the use of energy extracted from a clean source. However, even though mechanical vibrations can be a good source of clean and affordable energy, the process of designing a solution that will lead to a substantial and usable amount of energy is still mostly experimental.

The three main focus points of the project were to: (1) Develop a multidisciplinary computational tool for the design selection of an energy harvesting device, focusing on user requirements and best energy generation conditions; (2) Create a database of potential applications for the technology outside the engineering field, focusing on contributing to the broader community and in-field research activities; and (3) Build a physical prototype for an on-site condition at Duke/Durham.

In 2023-2024, the team developed a computational tool that can predict how much energy can be harvested in a generic application and compared the performance with a simple prototype replicating the real-life scenario.

Combined with the computational tool, the team also started developing an experimental setup in the Duke Wind Tunnel to validate numerical results and explore different geometrical configurations for the energy harvesters.

In 2024-2025, the team will continue improving the computational tool to account for different geometries and expand the capabilities of the method. Ultimately, the goal is to be able to implement an optimization tool that provides the best design parameters for the maximum energy generation for a given application and make this knowledge accessible to the broader community.

Timing

Fall 2023 – Spring 2024

Team Outputs

Design to Enhance Energy Harvesting Application (Poster presented at Fortin Foundation Bass Connections Showcase, April 17, 2024)

Computational tool for design selection of energy harvesting device database

Technology application database

Image: Solar Panels, by Jonathan Cutrer, licensed under CC BY 2.0