Fluid-solid-electric lock-in of energy-harvesting piezoelectric flags

Abstract

The spontaneous flapping of a flag in a steady flow can be used to power an output circuit using piezoelectric elements positioned at its surface. Here, we study numerically the effect of inductive circuits on the dynamics of this fluid-solid-electric system and on its energy harvesting efficiency. In particular, a destabilization of the system is identified leading to energy harvesting at lower flow velocities. Also, a frequency lock-in between the flag and the circuit is shown to significantly enhance the system's harvesting efficiency. These results suggest promising efficiency enhancements of such flow energy harvesters through the output circuit optimization.

8 pages, 8 figures, to appear in Physical Review Applied

References in corpus (4)

• Energy harvesting efficiency of piezoelectric flags in axial flows
• The origin of hysteresis in the flag instability
• On the efficiency of energy harvesting using vortex-induced vibrations of cables
• Self-similar vortex-induced vibrations of a hanging string

Cited by in corpus (9)

• Stability and scalability of piezoelectric flags
• Resonance-induced enhancement of the energy harvesting performance of piezoelectric flags
• Direct numerical simulation of flapping flags in grid-induced turbulence
• Synchronized flutter of two slender flags
• Numerical Study on Flapping Dynamics of a Flexible Two-Layered Plate in a Uniform Flow
• Flutter and resonances of a flag near a free surface
• Synchronized switch harvesting applied to piezoelectric flags
• Paper waves in the wind
• Electro-hydrodynamic synchronization of piezoelectric flags