An in-plane omnidirectional piezoelectric wind energy harvester based on vortex-induced vibration

Abstract

Variations in the wind direction over time mean that it is essential to improve the directional adaptability of wind energy harvesters (WEHs) based on wind-induced vibration (WIV) to expand their application potential. Several multi-directional WIV WEHs have been reported in the literature but most of them are not omnidirectional. In particular, no mathematical model has been proposed for omnidirectional WIV WEHs to date. In this Letter, an in-plane omnidirectional piezoelectric WEH with a cylindrical shell, acting as a bluff body and supported by internal piezoelectric composite beams, is proposed. It is deduced that the omnidirectionality of wind energy harvesting can be enhanced by improving the isotropies of the aerodynamic force, stiffness, and electromechanical conversion. For a WEH with three semicircular-shaped supporting beams, a mathematical model suitable for arbitrary wind directions in the horizontal plane was derived. Simulations show that the WEH's stiffness and electromechanical conversion are approximately isotropic. Simulations and experiments demonstrate that the wind direction's effect on the total power is small. The ratio of the experimental minimum to maximum total power is 0.88 at 9 m/s, verifying that the device is an in-plane omnidirectional harvester. An omnidirectionality index including contributions from all directions is proposed with the value of 0.86 at 9 m/s for the prototype. The proposed device configuration and design method may serve as a reference for the development of omnidirectional WIV WEHs.