Effect of windmill blade variations on the performance of piezoelectric energy harvesters: Enhancing vibration stability and power generation
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Mar 9, 2025
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Abstract
Piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) are gaining attention for their ability to generate electrical energy from environmental vibrations, with applications in various industries. This study focuses on optimizing the performance of a PEH using a cantilever system driven by wind energy through the impact of windmill blades. The objective is to evaluate how the number of windmill blades affects the PEH's voltage output and vibration stability. Experiments were conducted in a wind tunnel with a 250 mm × 250 mm cross-section equipped with a 12-inch blower to generate airflow. Three windmill configurations—3 blades, 4 blades, and 5 blades—were analyzed for output voltage and deflection of two PVDF-based PEHs placed at a 30° angle. Results indicate that the 3-blade configuration produced the highest voltage (1.79V), 4% and 43% higher than the 4-blade (1.71V) and 5-blade (1.01V) configurations, respectively. This configuration also exhibited maximum deflection and lower frequency vibrations. Increasing blade count led to higher frequency vibrations but reduced deflection and voltage output. The study highlights that fewer blades result in greater deflection and better energy harvesting performance. These findings contribute to ongoing research in PEH systems, offering insights into optimizing energy harvesting from fluctuating wind conditions by balancing deflection amplitude and vibration frequency.
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References
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[3] C. Wu, H. Huang, R. Li, and C. Fan, “Research on the Potential of Spherical Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Collecting Vibration Energy and Measuring Vibration,” Sensors, vol. 20, no. 4, p. 1063, Feb. 2020, doi: 10.3390/s20041063.
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[7] N. Zhou, Z. Hou, Y. Zhang, J. Cao, and C. R. Bowen, “Enhanced swing electromagnetic energy harvesting from human motion,” Energy, vol. 228, p. 120591, Aug. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2021.120591.
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[10] W. Sun and J. Seok, “A novel self-tuning wind energy harvester with a slidable bluff body using vortex-induced vibration,” Energy Conversion and Management, vol. 205, p. 112472, Feb. 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.enconman.2020.112472.
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[14] B. Vysotskyi, J.-F. Ambia Campos, E. Lefeuvre, and A. Brenes, “Dynamic analysis of a novel two-sided nonlinear MEMS electrostatic energy harvester,” Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, vol. 206, p. 110932, Jan. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.ymssp.2023.110932.
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[21] W. Sun, S. Jo, and J. Seok, “Development of the optimal bluff body for wind energy harvesting using the synergetic effect of coupled vortex induced vibration and galloping phenomena,” International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, vol. 156, pp. 435–445, Jun. 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.ijmecsci.2019.04.019.
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[23] J. Zhang, Z. Fang, C. Shu, J. Zhang, Q. Zhang, and C. Li, “A rotational piezoelectric energy harvester for efficient wind energy harvesting,” Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, vol. 262, pp. 123–129, Aug. 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.sna.2017.05.027.
[24] Y. Su, Q. Li, J. Amagat, and M. Chen, “3D spring-based piezoelectric energy generator,” Nano Energy, vol. 90, p. 106578, Dec. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2021.106578.
[25] L. Lu, W. Ding, J. Liu, and B. Yang, “Flexible PVDF based piezoelectric nanogenerators,” Nano Energy, vol. 78, p. 105251, Dec. 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2020.105251.
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[27] A. Gamayel, M. Zaenudin, M. N. Mohammed, and E. Yusuf, “Investigation of the Physical Properties and Droplet Combustion Analysis of Biofuel from Mixed Vegetable Oil and Clove Oil,” Science and Technology Indonesia, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 500–507, Oct. 2022, doi: 10.26554/sti.2022.7.4.500-507.
[28] A. Gamayel, M. Mohammed, M. Zaenudin, and E. Yusuf, “Droplet Combustion and Thermogravimetric Analysis of Pure Coconut Oil, Clove Oil, and Their Mixture,” Science and Technology Indonesia, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 313–319, Jul. 2022, doi: 10.26554/sti.2022.7.3.313-319.
[29] W. Wang, W. Tang, and Z. Yao, “A collision-free gallop-based triboelectric-piezoelectric hybrid nanogenerator,” iScience, vol. 25, no. 11, p. 105374, Nov. 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105374.
[30] C. Hou, X. Shan, X. Zhang, Z. Min, H. Song, and T. Xie, “Magnetic frequency modulation mechanism of a non-contact magnetism-toggled rotary energy harvester coupling piezoelectric effect,” Energy Conversion and Management, vol. 295, p. 117660, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.enconman.2023.117660.
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