Design of a kinematic vibration energy harvester for a smart bearing with piezoelectric/magnetic coupling

• Published in: Mechanics of advanced materials and structures Vol. 27; no. 15; pp. 1322 - 1330
• Main Author: Brusa, Eugenio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 03-08-2020; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Embedded systems; Energy conversion; Energy harvesting; Flexible structures; industry 4.0; magnetic coupling; Permanent magnets; piezoelectric materials; Piezoelectricity; Plucking; Rolling mills; smart bearing; smart manufacturing; structural mechatronics; Systems engineering; Vibration; vibration energy harvesting
• ISSN: 1537-6494; 1537-6532
• DOI: 10.1080/15376494.2018.1508795

A new configuration of vibration energy harvester is proposed, to equip a smart bearing with a power supply. The case of rolling mill is analyzed, to allow the identification of some design issues, related to the proposed hybrid energy scavenger. The energy conversion is performed by a contactless plucking of a permanent magnet upon the tip mass of a flexible structure, with surface-bonded piezoelectric layers. Since the system is embedded into a mechanical bearing, the dynamic excitation is applied on the vibrating structure, constrained to its fixed ring, by a permanent magnet lying on the rotating ring surface.