This letter presents a comparative study of different tip cross-sections for small scale wind energy harvesting based on galloping phenomenon. A prototype device is fabricated with a piezoelectric cantilever and a tip body with various cross-section profiles (square, rectangle, triangle, and D-shape) and tested in a wind tunnel. Experimental results demonstrate the superiority of the square-sectioned tip for the low cut-in wind speed of 2.5 m/s and the high peak power of 8.4 mW. An analytical model is established and verified by the experimental results. It is recommended that the square section should be used for small wind galloping energy harvesters.

Small-scale wind energy can be harvested for wireless sensing applications by exploiting the galloping phenomenon of a bluff body attached to a piezoelectric cantilever. Certain predictive model is required to understand the behavior of such a galloping-based piezoelectric energy harvester (GPEH). Conventional analytical and numerical models have simplified the interface circuit as a pure resistor. In practice, the energy generated by the harvester should be rectified before delivery to a real application. In such a case, the formulation of analytical or numerical model becomes cumbersome considering the complex coupling between the structure, fluid, piezoelectric transducer, and practical interface circuit. This paper proposes an equivalent circuit representation approach to predict the performance of GPEHs, capable of incorporating various interface circuits. The mechanical parameters and piezoelectric coupling in the system are represented by standard electronic components and the aerodynamic force by a user-defined component (nonstandard). The entire system is modeled in a circuit simulator for system-level simulation and evaluation. The proposed approach is verified by theoretical solution and experiment. Subsequent parametric study is performed to investigate the influence of standard ac and dc interfaces on the GPEH's behavior, with a focus on the threshold of galloping, power output, and induced electrical damping.

This study proposes a cross-coupled dual-beam structure for energy harvesting from vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) induced by wind flows in different directions. A series of wind tunnel tests are conducted to investigate the performance of the proposed energy harvester subjected to the wind load with various speeds and directions. The upper and bottom piezoelectric beams can generate a maximum power output of 6.77 μ W and 56.64 μ W, respectively. The dominant operation frequencies in different directions are different which indicates a potential broadband capability. A parametric study is performed to reveal the effect of the dimension of the bluff body on the performance of the proposed energy harvester.