Energy-harvesting apparatus with plural mechanical amplifiers
AssigneeCambridge Enterprise Limited
InventorsYu Jia, Jize Yan, Ashwin Arunkumar Seshia, Kenichi Soga
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Abstract
An energy harvester is provided for harvesting energy, and in particular electrical energy from an input vibration such as an ambient vibration. The energy harvester comprises a first mechanical amplifier responsive to the input vibration and a second mechanical amplifier coupled to the first mechanical amplifier. At least one of the first and second mechanical amplifiers comprises a parametric resonator, and a power output of the energy harvester is generated by damping the second mechanical amplifier.
Claims23
An energy harvester for harvesting energy from an input vibration, comprising:
- a first mechanical amplifier responsive to the input vibration;
- and
- a second mechanical amplifier coupled to and driven with an output of the first mechanical amplifier;
- in which at least one of the first and second mechanical amplifiers comprises a parametric resonator driven in parametric resonance;
- and in which an energy harvester power output is generated by electrically damping the second mechanical amplifier.
An energy harvester for harvesting energy from an input vibration, comprising:
- a first mechanical amplifier responsive to the input vibration;
- and
- a second mechanical amplifier coupled to and driven with an output of the first mechanical amplifier driven in parametric resonance;
- in which at least one of the first and second mechanical amplifiers comprises a parametric resonator;
- and
- an electrical damping mechanism for generating an energy harvester power output, in which the electrical damping mechanism does not act directly on the first mechanical amplifier.
A method for harvesting mechanical vibration, comprising the steps of:
- driving a first mechanical amplifier with the vibration;
- driving a second mechanical amplifier with an output of the first mechanical amplifier;
- and
- extracting a power output by electrically damping the second mechanical amplifier;
- in which at least one of the first and second mechanical amplifiers is a resonator driven in parametric resonance.
An energy harvester for harvesting energy from an input vibration, comprising:
- a first mechanical amplifier comprising a direct resonator responsive to the input vibration;
- and
- a second mechanical amplifier coupled to the first mechanical amplifier and comprising a parametric resonator;
- in which a resonant frequency ω of the direct resonator is a sub-multiple of a resonant frequency ω the parametric resonator, such that ω=2 ω0ln, where n is the order of the sub-multiple;
- and in which an energy harvester power output is generated by electrically damping the second mechanical amplifier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.