Synchronous and asynchronous vibration suppression and energy harvesting techniques: Principles, methods and applications

The simultaneous vibration suppression and energy harvesting (VSAEH) can address both mechanical durability and sustainability, as well as the power need of electronics or sensors. This dual-purpose holds paramount significance across various engineering applications due to its potential to enhance the efficiency, durability, and environmental friendliness of structures subjected to dynamic forces. The main contribution of this work is to clarify the principles of asynchronous and synchronous VSAEH and provide a comprehensive review of the recent studies on these systems. In the review, the nonlinearities that have been used to broaden the frequency bandwidths and achieve superior performances of VSAEH systems are introduced first. For instance, the quasi-zero stiffness (QZS) is utilized to improve the ultra-low-frequency performance, whereas two or multiple stable states are designed to broaden the operating bandwidth. The nonlinear energy sink is used in achieving multiple frequency bandwidths and the synchronous VSAEH function. Based on these advancements, the state-of-the-art research works on the asynchronous and synchronous VSAEH systems are presented, the former of which are normally single-degree-of-freedom structures whereas the latter of which are normally multi-degree-of-freedom structures with the principle of energy localization. Performance analyses and possible applications of different VSAEH designs are provided. The review ends with brief summaries and outlook on future perspectives. This review aims to give a thorough comprehension of VSAEH systems and offer insights at enhancing their performances.