Elof Köhler

Modelling and experimental verification of more efficient power harvesting by coupled piezoelectric cantilevers

A new piezoelectric energy harvester design is proposed in order to achieve a wider bandwidth without compromising energy conversion efficiency. By coupling two cantilevers where the tip of the bottom one is attached to the base of the upper one, the simulated harvester will have a wider bandwidth and higher power output compared with two simulated single tuned single cantilevers. This is a compact design, using only half the area compared to two parallel single cantilevers at the price of a small increase in height. The measured coupled harvester has approximately 1.7 times higher energy output than the combination of two measured tuned single cantilevers achieved by a coupling with less mechanical damping. With an improved coupling the power output is increased to 2.3 times higher than two single tuned cantilevers.

Smart design selftuning piezoelectric energy harvester intended for gas turbines

Piezoelectric energy harvesting on a gas turbine implies constraints like high temperature tolerance, size limitation and a particular range of vibrations to utilise. In order to be able to operate under these conditions a harvester needs to be small and efficient and to respond to the appropriate range of frequencies. We present the design, simulation and measurements for a clamped-clamped coupled piezoelectric harvester with a free-sliding weight which adds self-tuning for improved response within the range of vibrations from the gas turbine. We show a peak open circuit voltage of 11.7 V and a 3dB bandwidth of 12 Hz.

Simulation of a Novel Bridge MEMS-PZT Energy Harvester for Tire Pressure System

Self-powering is becoming an important issue for autonomous sensor systems. By having an on-the-go power source the life span increases in comparison to a limited battery source. In this paper, simulation of an innovative design for a piezoelectric energy harvester for Tire Pressure Measurement System (TPMS) is presented. The MEMS-based thin-film PZT harvester structure is in the form of a bridge with a big central seismic mass and multiple electrodes. This design takes the advantage of the S-profile bending and a short beam length to concentrate the piezoelectric effect in a small segment along the beam and maximize the power output for a given displacement. From simulation in Comsol Multiphysics, the 9mm x 5mm bridge, seismic mass of 8.7mg and resonance frequency of 615Hz, generates 1 mu W by mechanical pulses excitation equivalent to driving at 60 km/h (roughly 180G).

Fabrication of High Temperature Thermoelectric Energy Harvesters for Wireless Sensors

Implementing energy harvesters and wireless sensors in jet engines could simplify development and decrease costs. A thermoelectric energy harvester could be placed in the cooling channels where the temperature is between 500–900°C. This paper covers the synthesis of suitable materials and the design and fabrication of a thermoelectric module. The material choices and other design variables were done from an analytic model by numerical analysis. The module was optimized for 600–800°C with the materials Ba8Ga16Ge30 and La-doped Yb14MnSb11, both having the highest measured zT value in this region. The design goal was to be able to maintain a temperature gradient of at least 200°C with high power output. The La-doped Yb14MnSb11 was synthesized and its structure confirmed by x-ray diffraction. Measurement of properties of this material was not possible due to insufficient size of the crystals. Ba8Ga16Ge30 was synthesized and resulted in an approximated zT value of 0.83 at 700°C. Calculations based on a module with 17 couples gave a power output of 1100mW/g or 600mW/cm2 with a temperature gradient of 200K.

Evaluation of 3D printed materials used to print WR10 horn antennas

A WR10 waveguide horn antenna is 3D printed with three different materials. The antennas are printed on a fusion deposition modeling delta 3D printer built in house at Chalmers University of Technology. The different plastic materials used are an electrically conductive Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), a thermally conductive polylactic acid containing 35% copper, and a tough Amphora polymer containing at least 20% carbon fiber. The antennas are all printed with a 0.25 mm nozzle and 100 μm layer thickness and the software settings are tuned to give maximum quality for each material. The three 3D printed horn antennas are compared when it comes to cost, time and material properties.

Verification of Self-Tuning 4DOF Piezoelectric Energy Harvester with Enhanced Bandwidth

In this paper, we present an analytical model to predict enhanced bandwidth for a piezoelectric energy harvester with self-tuning, accomplished by a sliding mass. The model predicts that by implementing asymmetry of different piezoelectric cantilever lengths , the bandwidth can theoretically approach 60 Hz. Validation measurements demonstrate an increased 3dB bandwidth up to 21 Hz with 150 mW, by configuration 23/17 mm in open length – providing sufficient power for a ZigBee to continually transmit.

Rapid manufacturing of OSTE polymer RF-MEMS components

This paper reports the first RF-MEMS component in OSTE polymer. Three OSTE-based ridge gap resonators were fabricated by direct, high aspect ratio, photostructuring. The OSTE polymers good adhesion to gold makes it suitable for RF-MEMS applications. The OSTE ridge gap resonators differ in how they were coated with gold. The OSTE-based devices are compared to each other as well as to Si-based, SU8-based, and CNT-based devices of equal design. The OSTE-based process was performed outside the cleanroom, and with a fast fabrication process (∼1 h). The OSTE-based device performance is on par with that of the other alternatives in terms of frequency, attenuation, and Q-factor.

Smart design piezoelectric energy harvester with self-Tuning

Piezoelectric energy harvesting on a gas turbine implies constraints like high temperature tolerance, size limitation and a particular range of vibrations to utilise. In order to be able to operate under these conditions a harvester needs to be space effective and efficient and to respond to the appropriate range of frequencies. We present the design, simulation and measurements for a clamped-clamped coupled piezoelectric harvester with a free-sliding weight, which adds self-Tuning for improved response within the range of vibrations from the gas turbine. We show a peak open circuit voltage of 11.7 V and a 3 dB bandwidth of 12 Hz.

MEMS Based Micro Aerial Vehicles

Designing a flapping wing insect robot requires understanding of insect flight mechanisms, wing kinematics and aerodynamic forces. These subsystems are interconnected and their dependence on one another affects the overall performance. Additionally it requires an artificial muscle like actuator and transmission to power the wings. Several kinds of actuators and mechanisms are candidates for this application with their own strengths and weaknesses. This article provides an overview of the insect scaled flight mechanism along with discussion of various methods to achieve the Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) flight. Ongoing projects in Chalmers is aimed at developing a low cost and low manufacturing time MAV. The MAV design considerations and design specifications are mentioned. The wings are manufactured using 3D printed carbon fiber and are under experimental study.

Direct 3D printed shadow mask on Silicon

A 3D printed shadow mask method is presented. The 3D printer prints ABS plastic directly on the wafer, thus avoiding gaps between the wafer and the shadow mask, and deformation during the process. The wafer together with the 3D printed shadow mask was sputtered with Ti and Au. The shadow mask was released by immersion in acetone. The sputtered patches through the shadow mask were compared to the opening of the 3D printed shadow mask and the design dimensions. The patterned Au patches were larger than the printed apertures, however they were smaller than the design widths. The mask was printed in 4 min, the cost is less than one euro cent, and the process is a low temperature process suitable for temperature sensitive components.