Optimum load for energy harvesting with non-linear oscillators

Abstract

A viable way to increase the band-width of a vibration-based energy harvester is exploiting the frequency response of non-linear oscillators. In the literature there are several works on resonating energy harvesters featuring non-linear oscillators. In the majority of these works, the harvester powers purely resistive loads. Given the complex behaviour of non-linear energy harvesters, it is difficult to identify the optimum load for these kind of devices. The aim of this work is to find the optimal load for a non-linear energy harvester in the case of purely resistive loads. The work, following the analysis of a non-linear energy harvesting with hardening compliance, introduces a methodology based on numerical continuation which can be used to find the optimum load once the characteristics of device as well as the excitation is known. © The Society for Experimental Mechanics, Inc. 2013.