A Silicon MEMS EM vibration energy harvester

TL;DR

This paper introduces a silicon MEMS electromagnetic vibration energy harvester optimized for low-frequency vibrations, achieving notable voltage and power outputs suitable for machine health monitoring.

Contribution

It presents a novel silicon-MEMS electromagnetic harvester design with optimized suspension and magnetic components for efficient energy harvesting at near 50 Hz.

Findings

Open-circuit voltage of 1.7 V

Power output of 2.2 mW at 1.1 g

Power density of 1.23 mW/cm3

Abstract

This paper presents an optimized silicon-MEMS electromagnetic vibration energy harvester suitable for applications such as machine health monitoring. The harvester comprises a DRIE-etched silicon suspension, and pick-and-place N42 NdBFe magnets and copper coils, housed in a 3D-printed package. The harvester is designed to operate near 50 Hz with 0.5-1 g vibrations using a long-stroke suspension. Multi-domain harvester optimization results in an open-circuit voltage of 1.7 V, a matched-load power output of 2.2 mW, and a matched-load power-output density of 1.23 mW/cm3 at 1.1 g with a resonance frequency of 76.3 Hz.