Experimental verification of a piezo-aero-elastic energy harvester

Abstract

Flutter is typically considered a dangerous aeroelastic phenomenon. However, flutter vibrations also provides potential for extracting energy from the wind and its conversion into electrical energy. Some authors have pointed out the piezo-aeroelastic generators as an alternative for the traditional wind turbines in urban areas where traditional wind turbines are impractical. The conversion of ambient vibration energy to usable electrical energy is the definition of vibration based energy harvesting. The recent literature shows that piezoelectric transduction has received the most attention for vibration-based energy harvesting. The main goal here is the experimental investigation of the effect of piezoelectric energy harvesting over the aeroelastic behavior of an aeroelastic typical section. A resistive electrical load is considered in the electrical domain. A wind tunnel experimental flutter model previously developed will be modified for the investigation of the effect of piezoelectric power harvesting on the aeroelastic behavior of the system. The effects of the energy conversion over the aeroelastic response will be investigated with increasing airflow speed (low speeds to flutter speed). (AU)