High-performance low-frequency bistable vibration energy harvesting plate with tip mass blocks

Bistable vibration energy harvesting plate owns large-amplitude output voltage and high output power because of its large asymmetric deformation. In order to enhance low-frequency energy harvesting, this paper designs a high-performance low-frequency bistable vibration energy harvesting plate with tip mass blocks. The bistable substrate is made from carbon fiber/epoxy pre-preg with an asymmetric stacking sequence and heat treatment. The dynamic response and the snap-through behavior of the presented energy harvesting plate are analyzed by the Finite Element Method (FEM). The effect of uncertainties induced by errors in manufacturing process on the open circuit voltage is studied by interval analysis. Basing on these information from the finite element analysis, the complete experiment is conducted, in which the similar dynamic response and snap-through behavior are observed. And more importantly, the broadband characteristic is experimentally obtained. Meanwhile, the experimental results show that, the presented energy harvesting plate can produce the output power higher than 1 mW, which is enough to power some wireless sensors embedded in smart infrastructures used for monitoring structural health.