Abstract
In this study, we explore the possibility of energy harvesting from fluid flow through a turbine hosting ionic polymer metal composites (IPMCs). Specifically, IPMC harvesters are embedded in the blades of a small-scale vertical axis water turbine to convert flow kinetics into electrical power via low-frequency flow-induced IPMC deformations. An in-house fabricated Savonius-Darrieus hybrid active turbine with three IPMCs is tested in a laboratory water tunnel to estimate the energy harvesting capabilities of the device as a function of the shunting electrical load. The turbine is shown to harvest a few nanowatt from a mean flow of 0.43 m s?1 for shunting resistances in the range 100-1000 ω. To establish a first understanding of the energy harvesting device, we propose a quasi-static hydroelastic model for the bending of the IPMCs and we utilize a black-box model to study their electromechanical response.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 085023 |
| Journal | Smart Materials and Structures |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 1 2014 |
Keywords
- Savonius rotor
- energy harvesting
- fluid-structure interaction
- hydrodynamics
- hydroelastic coupling
- ionic polymer metal composite
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Signal Processing
- Civil and Structural Engineering
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
- General Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Mechanics of Materials
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering