V20W Datasheet, PDF (5/24 Pages) List of Unclassifed Manufacturers – PIEZOELECTRIC ENERGY HARVESTERS

OPERATION
The Volture™ vibration energy harvester is designed to
extract useable electrical energy from waste
mechanical vibrations. The best means to accomplish
this is to mount the Volture™ product in a cantilevered
configuration on the vibration source and tune the
natural frequency of the Volture™ harvester to match
that of the vibration source.
Vibration Source Characterization
The first step in successful energy harvesting is to fully
understand the vibration environment in which the
Volture™ will be operating. The most effective means
to accomplish this is to measure the vibration using an
accelerometer, capture the data, and perform an FFT
(Fast Fourier Transform) on the data to extract the
relevant frequency information.
Some applications will not require this step since their
dominant frequencies are inherently known. An
example of this would be a 120 Hz AC motor or a 60
Hz appliance. However, most applications will require
some form of vibration characterization to be
successful.
Midé offers a vibration characterization product and
service, the VR001. The VR001 is a small device that
can be easily installed into many different vibration
environments. The device is completely stand alone
and can be applied to hard to reach areas. Built in timer
delays allow for capture of many different types of
vibration environments. A simple USB interface with
provided software allows the user to easily characterize
any vibration.
Attaching And Clamping The Volture™
For optimized energy harvesting from vibrations it is
best to mount the Volture™ products in a cantilevered
configuration. This takes advantage of resonant beam
harvesting. If the natural frequency of the Volture™ is
successfully tuned to that of the vibration source, the
most energy will be harvested.
The first step in successful clamping is to ensure that
both the base and clamp are constructed of rigid
materials completely free of burrs and defects. Using a
rigid material will minimize dissipation of energy
through the clamp structure and avoiding burrs and
defects will minimize the potential for stress
concentrations on the Volture™ which could lead to
premature failure.
The clamp should completely extend beyond the piezo
element within the Volture product. The suggested
clamp line shown in the product dimensions section of
this document ensures that the clamp is clamping on
the piezo element.
For long term installation, the fasteners used to secure
the clamp should be properly torqued and should be
reinforced either using lock washers or some kind of
locking adhesive. This will ensure a proper long term
clamp that will not loosen over time.
TOP VIEW
TIP MASS
CLAMP LINE CLAMP CONNECTOR
VIBRATION
BEAM SECTION FREE TO DISPLACE
SIDE VIEW
FIXED TO VIBRATING SURFACE
REVISION N0. 002 REVISION DATE: 01-23-2013
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