Exponential energy harvesting through repetitive reconfigurations of a system of capacitors

Abstract

In conventional energy harvesting systems, energy can be extracted from a fixed-level source at a constant rate at best. The resulting growth of harvested energy is bound by a linear function. Here we show that exponential energy harvesting can be achieved in a system of reconfigurable energy storage elements. The exponential extraction results from the positive feedback of the system potential energy due to repetitive system reconfigurations. The concept is studied theoretically and validated with results from systems of droplet capacitors. A device with three 300 μL mercury drops can generate an exponentially growing voltage that reaches 168 V within a few cycles of a low-level and low-frequency mechanical excitation. The same device with water drops can generate a similarly growing voltage that reaches 56 V. This concept holds potential in DC power generation and may be applied in other energy domains.