Parametric Aerodynamic Study of Galloping Piezoelectric Energy Harvester with Arcuate Protruding and Depressed Features

TL;DR

This study investigates how different cross-sectional shapes affect the performance of piezoelectric energy harvesters in wind.

Contribution

The paper introduces a systematic parametric study of arcuate protruding and depressed features on energy harvester performance.

Findings

Protruding features on the rear side significantly increase the power versus wind speed curve slope.

Depressed features on the rear, top, or bottom reduce critical wind speed and enhance power with greater depth.

Harvesters with depressed features on top and bottom show significant power jumps at critical wind speeds.

Abstract

This study explores the potential effect of a cross-sectional shape with an arcuate protruding and depressed features on the performance. The geometric configurations include two feature types (protruding and depressed), each with six distinct perimeter arrangements and three depths per arrangement, yielding thirty-six different cross-sectional shapes for systematic evaluation. The aerodynamic characteristics and electrical performance are numerically analyzed, using a computational fluid dynamics model and a distributed parameter electromechanical coupling model, respectively. A smooth protruding feature on the front, top, or bottom side suppresses the electrical output; however, when located on the rear side, it significantly increases the slope of the power versus wind speed curve. Depressed features on the rear, top, or bottom side only reduce the critical wind speed and the power enhancement positively correlates with the feature depth. Compared to a square, a harvester with depressed feature on both top and bottom sides exhibits a significant jump in power at the critical wind speed, greatly improving the power. These findings provide important design guidelines for structural optimization of galloping piezoelectric energy harvesters, enabling them to match the wind energy distribution characteristics of specific regions with optimal performance.

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