Frequency adjustable MEMS vibration energy harvester
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Published Version
Date
2016-11
Authors
Podder, Pranay
Constantinou, Peter
Amann, Andreas
Roy, Saibal
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
IOP Publishing
Published Version
Abstract
Ambient mechanical vibrations offer an attractive solution for powering the wireless sensor nodes of the emerging "Internet-of-Things". However, the wide-ranging variability of the ambient vibration frequencies pose a significant challenge to the efficient transduction of vibration into usable electrical energy. This work reports the development of a MEMS electromagnetic vibration energy harvester where the resonance frequency of the oscillator can be adjusted or tuned to adapt to the ambient vibrational frequency. Micro-fabricated silicon spring and double layer planar micro-coils along with sintered NdFeB micro-magnets are used to construct the electromagnetic transduction mechanism. Furthermore, another NdFeB magnet is adjustably assembled to induce variable magnetic interaction with the transducing magnet, leading to significant change in the spring stiffness and resonance frequency. Finite element analysis and numerical simulations exhibit substantial frequency tuning range (25% of natural resonance frequency) by appropriate adjustment of the repulsive magnetic interaction between the tuning and transducing magnet pair. This demonstrated method of frequency adjustment or tuning have potential applications in other MEMS vibration energy harvesters and micromechanical oscillators.
Description
Keywords
Micro-mechanical oscillators , Internet-of-Things , MEMS vibration energy harvesters , Electrical energy
Citation
Podder, P. Constantinou, P., Amann, A, and Roy, S. (2016) 'Frequency adjustable MEMS vibration energy harvester', Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 757, 012037 (6pp). doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/757/1/012037